THREE EXTRAORDINARY ORIGINAL PHOTOGRAPHS BY BRASSAÏ FROM THE COLLECTION OF FAMOUS PHOTOJOURNALIST STEFAN LORANT, ONE BOLDLY SIGNED AND INSCRIBED BY BRASSAÏ

BRASSAÏ. Photographs, one signed. No place, circa 1949-1959. Three black-and-white photographs mounted on cardboard, each measuring 9-1/4 inches by 11 inches. $3800.

Three superb original photographs by Brassaï, one boldly signed and inscribed: “Les quatre boys de la Villa Lante. bien amicalement, Brassaï. Lenox le 10 juin 73.” From the collection of fellow photographer Stefan Lorant, Brassaï’s close friend and colleague.

The inscribed photograph depicts a striking fountain in Villa Lante, Italy, with four youths supporting the armorial device (several mountains topped by a star) of Cardinal Montalto, the nephew of Pope Sixtus V who was largely responsible for the architectural wonders erected in the villa during the late 16th century. The second photograph features the beautiful baroque-style Church of Our Lady O' Sabara in Brazil. The third image is unidentified but is very likely a church portal. The fountain photograph is known to have been inscribed to photojournalist Stefan Lorant as Brassaï mentions the town of Lenox, Massachusetts, which was Lorant's longtime home, and the stamp on the verso identifies this work as belonging to the collection of Stefan Lorant. Loran was a Hungarian-American photojournalist, filmmaker, and author. Lorant, who initially did photojournalism work in Germany, fled to England in the 1930s after a brief imprisonment in a concentration camp. In England, he developed a fascination with American history, which prompted him to move to America and write a number of highly regarded photo-illustrated books about American history and presidents. In 1993, the International Center of Photography presented Lorant with a Lifetime Achievement Award. Lorant and Brassaï were close friends and frequent correspondents (letters to and from Brassaï are one of the largest individual segments of Lorant's papers at the Getty). Brassaï regarded Lorant as something of a mentor and contributed work to Lilliput, the British humor magazine Lorant founded in 1937. All three photographs bear the stamps of Harper's Bazaar on the verso and were taken for publication in the magazine during Brassaï's lengthy tenure as staff photographer (1936-1963). All photographs also with "Stefan Lorant Collection" stamp.

Very light wear to mounts, photographs and inscription fine. A wonderful association.