Henri Georges Cartier Bresson
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Henri Cartier-Bresson, born in 1908, co-founded the Magnum photo agency in 1947 with Robert Capa and David Seymour. He directed and wrote films including The Rules of the Game 1939 and L’Espagne vivra 1939. His photography appeared in Life, Vogue, and Harper’s Bazaar; he covered Gandhi’s funeral and the Chinese revolution. He died in 2004 at age 95.
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Henri Cartier Bresson — early life, career, personal life, and legacy.
Henri Cartier-Bresson was born on 22 August 1908 in Chanteloup-en-Brie, Seine-et-Marne, France, as the eldest of three children. He attended the Lycée Condorcet in Paris, where he developed an interest in painting. At age 20, he rejected the family textile business to pursue art, a decision that led him to photography.
In 1947, Cartier-Bresson co-founded the Magnum photo agency with Robert Capa and David Seymour, a cooperative that shaped photojournalism. He shot for Life, Vogue, and Harper’s Bazaar, covering historic moments such as Mahatma Gandhi’s funeral in India and the Chinese revolution. He also worked in film, contributing to movies like The Rules of the Game 1939 and L’Espagne vivra 1939. His technique emphasized unposed, candid images, using a Leica camera with black-and-white film and no flash.
Cartier-Bresson married Ratna Mohini, a Javanese dancer, in 1937; they divorced in 1967. In 1970, he married photographer Martine Franck, with whom he had a daughter, Melanie. He died on 2 August 2004 in l’Ile-sur-Sorgue and is buried in the cemetery of Montjustin in Alpes-de-Haute-Provence.
Cartier-Bresson has been hailed as perhaps the greatest photographer of the 20th century. He received the Hasselblad Award and the Lucie Award, as well as the Grand Prix National de la Photographie in 1981. His concept of the decisive moment and his co-founding of Magnum have influenced countless photographers. His candid, black-and-white images capture the essence of human experience.
Every award, honor, and recognition received by Henri Cartier Bresson — Grammys, hall-of-fame inductions, civic honors, lifetime achievements.
A wall of memorable lines from Henri Cartier Bresson — lyrics, interviews, and off-the-cuff remarks captured over a lifetime.
In Whatever One Does, There Must Be a Relationship Between the Eye and the Heart.
Little-known facts about Henri Cartier Bresson — origins, oddities, and behind-the-scenes details from a public life.
Cartier-Bresson was a French photographer whose work defined 20th-century photojournalism.
In 1947, he co-founded the Magnum photo agency with Robert Capa and David Seymour, leaving in 1966 to focus on portraiture and landscapes.
He received the Grand Prix National de la Photographie in Paris in 1981.
As the eldest of three children, he initially studied art before turning away from the family textile business at age 20.
He had one daughter, Melanie, with his second wife Martine Franck.
During World War II, he served as a corporal in a film and photo unit, was captured, escaped after three years, and then worked for the French underground while doing commercial photography.
His photography appeared in Life, Vogue, and Harper’s Bazaar; he photographed Mahatma Gandhi’s funeral in India and the Chinese revolution.
He famously opposed posing subjects or cropping pictures, and was averse to having his own photo taken or giving interviews.
He used a Leica camera, the quietest available, exclusively with black-and-white film and no flash.
He has been hailed as perhaps the greatest photographer of the 20th century.
His first wife, Ratna Mohini, was a Javanese dancer.
He is buried in the cemetery of Montjustin in Alpes-de-Haute-Provence, France.
Quick answers to the questions readers ask most about Henri Cartier Bresson.
Celebrities similar to Henri Cartier Bresson — same craft, ranked by reach.
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