Henri Cartier-Bresson was a French photographer, painter, and filmmaker who is widely considered to be one of the most influential figures in modern art. Born in 1908 in Chanteloup-en-Brie, France, Cartier-Bresson grew up in a wealthy family and received an education from private schools.
Cartier-Bresson first developed an interest in photography in the early 1930s and began taking photographs of everyday life in Paris. He was quickly drawn to photojournalism, and in 1932, he joined the French photographic agency, Agence VU, as a staff photographer.
In the mid-1930s, Cartier-Bresson started to travel and photograph around the world, documenting the Spanish Civil War, poverty in India, and the liberation of Paris during World War II. During this time, he also developed his signature style of photography, which he called “the decisive moment” – capturing moments of grace, beauty, and humor in everyday life.
In 1947, Cartier-Bresson co-founded the photographic cooperative Magnum Photos with Robert Capa and David Seymour. As one of the founding members, Cartier-Bresson's work was showcased alongside other renowned photographers such as Eve Arnold, Elliott Erwitt, and Henri Matisse.
In addition to his photography, Cartier-Bresson was also an accomplished painter, filmmaker, and theorist. His films, such as Le Retour (1949) and Le Mystère Picasso (1956), are considered to be some of the greatest of the French New Wave cinema. His book, The Decisive Moment, is also a classic of photographic theory.
Throughout his career, Cartier-Bresson received numerous awards and honors, including the French Legion of Honor in 1966, the Hasselblad Award in 1977, and the National Medal of Arts in 1995. He died in 2004 at the age of 95.
Cartier-Bresson's legacy continues to influence photographers and filmmakers around the world. His work is celebrated for its poetic beauty and its ability to capture the essence of a moment. He is remembered as a master of his craft and a pioneer of modern photography.
