Une maison close, la Japonaise
Photograph
c.1932 (photographed)
c.1932 (photographed)
Artist/Maker | |
Place of origin |
Brassaï was born in 1899 as Gyula Halász in the Transylvanian town of Brassó. He grew up in Budapest and spent the early 1920s in Berlin, training as a painter and working as a journalist. He moved to Paris in 1924, where he stayed until his death in 1984. He took up photography in Paris initially to support his written journalism, though he soon committed himself to a solely photographic practice. Brassaï is most well-known for his images of Parisian life, featuring brothels, prostitutes, city streets, architecture and high society alike. His first book, ‘Paris by Night’, was published in 1933 and established his reputation as a serious photographer.
His depictions of Paris at night present eerie streets, almost resembling a smoky ‘film-noir’ set. In their suggestions of a mysterious underworld, his photographs caught the attention of André Breton and the Surrealists, which led to a ten year association with the group; although, Brassaï was careful to never call himself a Surrealist and maintained that his photographs were objective.
His depictions of Paris at night present eerie streets, almost resembling a smoky ‘film-noir’ set. In their suggestions of a mysterious underworld, his photographs caught the attention of André Breton and the Surrealists, which led to a ten year association with the group; although, Brassaï was careful to never call himself a Surrealist and maintained that his photographs were objective.
Object details
Category | |
Object type | |
Title | Une maison close, la Japonaise (assigned by artist) |
Materials and techniques | Gelatin silver print |
Brief description | Photograph by Brassaï, 'Une maison close la Japonaise' [A Japanese brothel], gelatin silver print, c.1932 |
Physical description | Black and white photograph depicting a building with saloon style doors. There are three stained glass windows, aside the doors, each featuring a figure of a Japanese woman in traditional dress with flowerslining the top edges of the window. The scene is taken in the dark and light emerges from inside the building, illuminating the figures depicted in the windows. The storefront signage is largely illegible due to the lack of light, but it is possible to make out the final word as 'Japonaises' |
Dimensions |
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Styles | |
Marks and inscriptions | Verso:
Top centre, pencil: '17.5x23'
Top right, pencil: '16' [circled and crossed out]
Centre right, black ink: 'pp. 369'
Centre right, pencil: 'page 104'
Centre, stamped in blue ink: 'Brassaï / 81, Rue du Faub.-St Jacques / PARIS-XIVe - PORt-Royal 23-41'
Cenre, stamped in purple ink: 'Brassaï / 81 RUE DU FAUB ST JACQUES / PARIS-XIVe PORT ROYAL 23-41'
Cenre, pencil: 'Une maison close / (borde) / "La Japonaise" / Brassaï [underlined]'
Bottom right, stamped in purple ink: '© COPYRIGHT by BRASSAÏ / 81, Faubourg St-Jacques / PARIS 14eme Tél. 707.23.41'
Bottom right, stamped in black ink: 'SUCCESSION / BRASSAÏ / ESTATE'
Bottom right, pencil: '36 / 29 [crossed out]'
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Credit line | Bequest of Gilberte Boyer Brassaï |
Object history | This object came to the museum as part of a bequest of 99 photographs by Brassaï from his widow, Madame Gilberte Boyer. |
Subjects depicted | |
Place depicted | |
Summary | Brassaï was born in 1899 as Gyula Halász in the Transylvanian town of Brassó. He grew up in Budapest and spent the early 1920s in Berlin, training as a painter and working as a journalist. He moved to Paris in 1924, where he stayed until his death in 1984. He took up photography in Paris initially to support his written journalism, though he soon committed himself to a solely photographic practice. Brassaï is most well-known for his images of Parisian life, featuring brothels, prostitutes, city streets, architecture and high society alike. His first book, ‘Paris by Night’, was published in 1933 and established his reputation as a serious photographer. His depictions of Paris at night present eerie streets, almost resembling a smoky ‘film-noir’ set. In their suggestions of a mysterious underworld, his photographs caught the attention of André Breton and the Surrealists, which led to a ten year association with the group; although, Brassaï was careful to never call himself a Surrealist and maintained that his photographs were objective. |
Bibliographic references |
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Collection | |
Accession number | E.913-2014 |
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Record created | April 15, 2015 |
Record URL |
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