Henri Cartier-Bresson
“To take a photograph is to align the head, the eye and
the heart. It’s a way of life”
Born in Chanteloup-en-Brie, France, Henri Cartier-Bresson
developed a strong fascination with painting early on, and
particularly with Surrealism. In 1932, after spending a year
in the Ivory Coast, he discovered the Leica – his camera of
choice from that moment on – and started a life-long journey
within photography. In 1933, he had his first exhibition at the
Julien Levy Gallery in New York. He later made films with
Jean Renoir.
Made a prisoner of war in 1940, he escaped on his third
attempt - in 1943 - and subsequently joined an underground
organization to assist prisoners and escapees. In 1945,
he photographed the liberation of Paris with a group of
professional journalists and then filmed the documentary
Le Retour (The Return).