“A LEGENDARY FIGURE AMONG CONTEMPORARY PHOTOJOURNALISTS”

CARTIER-BRESSON, Henri. Flagrants Delits [Obvious Offences]. Paris: Delpire, (1968). Oblong quarto, original brown cloth, mounted cover photograph. $1300.

First edition of this retrospective collection, featuring 210 of Cartier-Bresson’s candid photojournalistic images, penetrating “into the living heart of the human being.”

"Regarded as one of the greatest photographers of his time, Henri Cartier-Bresson elevated 'snap shooting' to the level of a refined and disciplined art. His sharp-shooter's ability to catch 'the decisive moment,' his precise eye for design, his self-effacing methods of work, and his literate comments about the theory and practice of photography made him a legendary figure among contemporary photojournalists" (Photo-Seminars). "He has a special interest in photographing people and in capturing the essence of what has not previously been seen… He ranks as one of the most important and influential photographers of [the 20th] century" (Blodgett, 96). In Flagrants Delits, Cartier-Bresson presents 210 provocative images, from his famous series Alicante (1933) to Tokyo (1966). "He gave his pictures great constructive clarity, against the tectonics of which he brought out the uncalculated, the human 'coincidence' in contrapuntal fashion… His concern all through his life was to penetrate 'into the living heart of the human being" (Icons of Photography, 58). Calligraphic text by Cartier-Bresson in French.

Fine condition.