Henri Cartier-Bresson (Masters of Photography Series) [Hardcover]

Henri Cartier-Bresson (Photographer)

Book Description

Series: Masters of Photography Series | Publication Date: June 15, 2005

Henri Cartier-Bresson reveals--as only a few great artists have done consistently--the variety and richness of human experience in the twentieth century. This second volume of Aperture's Masters of Photography series confirms the genius of the photographer who--with the new, smaller, hand-held cameras and faster films--defined the idea of "the decisive moment" in photography. Cartier-Bresson's imagery is intimate but utterly respectful of his subjects. In his travels throughout the world, he has captured glimpses of individual lives in scores of countries. Taken together, Cartier-Bresson's works constitute a personal history of epic scope. This volume presents forty-two of the artist's photographs, each recognized as a masterpiece of the medium. In addition, Cartier-Bresson offers a brief statement about what drives his work.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"The photography of Henri Cartier-Bresson has resulted in a body of work unique in the history of this craft, not alone in kind but in quality. Apart from the fact that he is responsible for more individual memorable images than any other photographer in his epoch, his attitude toward his art . . . is based on a philosophy at once traditional, logical, and exemplary."--Lincoln Kirstein
-- Review

About the Author

Born in Chanteloup, France, in 1908, Henri Cartier-Bresson studied painting and literature until 1930, when he began his career in photography. His work has appeared in hundreds of publications and in museums and galleries around the world. His awards include four from the Overseas Press Club. Since 1973 he has concentrated on drawing.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 96 pages
• Publisher: Aperture (June 15, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0893817449
• ISBN-13: 978-0893817442
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 8.3 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #111,082 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

12 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Nice little collection, January 7, 2005

By 

Bukkene Bruse (Iowa) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Henri Cartier-Bresson (Masters of Photography Series) (Hardcover)

This collection is a nice, compact, and inexpensive sample of Cartier-Bresson's photographs. I would have prefered the book to be a little larger to allow for bigger pictures. The print quality is decent. I was disappointed that my favorite photograph by him, the one of the bicyclist going by the staircase entitled "Hyères, France", was absent.

13 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A True Master, October 5, 2005

By 

George Black (Mount Pleasant, SC USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Henri Cartier-Bresson (Masters of Photography Series) (Hardcover)

If Cartier-Bresson did not invent the art of 35mm street photography, he certainly brought it to the attention of other serious photographers and the public. Trained as a painter, his eye for composition was unerring, but it was his instinct for the defining human gesture--that he termed "the decisive moment"--that made him one of the immortals of photographic history. As one of the founding members of Magnum, he changed the way we think of photographs and the way we see the world. This book is an introduction to his work. As such, it's all too short, but the economical format makes it possible to see a few decent examples of his work and perhaps to inspire further study. He was a true master of the art.

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Best of Bresson, June 25, 2006

By 

M. R. Schweppe (The Netherlands) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Henri Cartier-Bresson (Masters of Photography Series) (Hardcover)

A lovely little book showing the most famous pictures of Henri Cartier-Bresson on 95 pages only. A must-have for the Cartier-Bresson fans or a great first book to have on this fabulous photographer.