Henri Cartier-Bresson in India [Paperback]

Henri Cartier-Bresson (Author), Satyajit Ray (Contributor)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 1, 2001

Produced over six visits to India, from 1947 through the early 80s, these dramatic images are shaped by an eye and mind legendary for their intelligent empathy and graphic honesty. Cartier-Bresson's pictures of refugee camps after the partition speak with the same passion as those of the Maharaja of Barodea's birthday celebration. This seminal artist's extraordinary gift of observation and his connections to the leaders of post-colonial India inform all these photographs, revealing the essence of a country that has long captured the world's imagination.

Editorial Reviews

Language Notes

Text: English, French (translation) --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

Product Details

• Paperback: 128 pages
• Publisher: Bulfinch (April 1, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0821227351
• ISBN-13: 978-0821227350
• Product Dimensions: 10.4 x 9.5 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,862,374 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Henri Cartier-Bresson (August 22, 1908 - August 3, 2004) is perhaps the greatest photographer of the twentieth century. In a career spanning over sixty years, he has used his camera as an impassive and neutral third eye to capture the vagaries of human behaviour and to produce some of the most memorable and compelling photographs ever published.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars a worthy addition to your library, June 26, 2002

By 

Kasey M. Moctezuma "parisgirl" (San Diego, CA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Henri Cartier-Bresson in India (Paperback)

I recently purchased this book, as well as Cartier-Bresson's books about Paris and Mexico, and as much as I like the other two books, I think that this is definitely the best of the three books. Whereas the subjects of the other two books are of more of an artistic or sociological nature, the subjects of this book are primarily political in nature. Cartier-Bresson was in India in 1947 (as well as numerous other occasions) to photograph the turbulent times of the country. Some pictures are of Gandhi the day before his death, others are of his body on the funeral pyre. These images are spectacular. There are plenty of images of day to day life in India ( the most current being circa 1966) and these are quite nice - I especially like the photograph of the saris (which are about 5 yards long) drying in the sun. This is such a beautiful book- and it is much cheaper than a trip to India!

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Magnificent collection, March 9, 2002

By 

Rita Cundera (Boston, MA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Henri Cartier-Bresson in India (Paperback)

I bought this book several years ago when viewing a HCB exhibition on India in London, England. It is a beautiful collection of photos that capture the richness of the Indian subcontinent. As a woman of Indian heritage, I am proud of the way that HCB showed the many facets of this country and captured some of the most important times in this country's history. Definitely buy this book if you like photojournalism or if you want to see a glimpse of this magnificent nation.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars More stunning images from Cartier-Bresson, May 12, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: Henri Cartier-Bresson in India (Paperback)

If you own other Cartier-Bresson's books such as "The Europeans" and "A Propos de Paris" then you will not be disappointed in the subject content. Bresson maintains his masterly eye while photographing the Indian subcontinent.

The images are well reproduced with one exception - for some reason the editor/publisher saw fit to span some images across two pages rather than reproduce each image on its own page (there are 4 images in this book which suffer such a fate). I'm sure this was an attempt to keep the images large for some sort of dramatic effect but it has only served to ruin these images because the binding breaks up and obscures part of the image. That said, it should not be an excuse for not purchasing this book - I still rate it as 5 stars.