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Sortie du bal à la fermenture

Photograph
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.

Some of Brassaï’s most iconic images depict the scandalous nightlife in bars and brothels, exposing the city’s debaucherous underbelly. Scenes of prostitution, sexual interactions and nudity are not uncommon and present an almost practical view of the working women. Brassaï also frequented dance halls, depicting performers, ethnic minorities and members of the LGBTQ community. Overall, the indiscriminate scope of Brassaï’s photographs present this previously unseen side of Paris alongside more traditional subject matter such as society functions and opera dancers. His ability to document a complete cross section of society provides an authentic glimpse into Parisian life in the 1930s.


Object details

Category
Object type
TitleSortie du bal à la fermenture (assigned by artist)
Materials and techniques
Gelatin silver print
Brief description
Photograph by Brassaï, 'Sortie du bal à la fermeture' [Leaving the dance hall at closing time], c.1932, gelatin silver print
Physical description
Black and white photograph depicting a group of people milling around a doorway. The door is open, and decorations can be seen hanging from the ceiling inside. The image was taken at night, so the scene is lit from the lighting inside the buidling.
Dimensions
  • Image width: 23.2cm (Note: image and sheet are the same size)
  • Image height: 28.9cm (Note: image and sheet are the same size)
Styles
Marks and inscriptions
  • Verso: Top left, pencil: '23x29'
  • Verso: Top left, pencil: '23x29' Top centre, black ink: 'Sortie du bal à la fermeture' Top right, blue ink: '61' Centre, stamped in purple ink: '© copyright by / BRASSAÏ / 81, Faubourg St-Jacques / PARIS-XIVe - PORt-Royal 23-41' Centre, stamped in black ink: 'BRASSAÏ / 81, Rue du Faub.-St-Jacques / PARIS-XIVe - PORt-Royal 23-41' Centre, red ink: 'pp.7.' Centre, stamped in black ink: 'BRASSAÏ / 81, Rue du Faub.-St-Jacques / PARIS-XIVe - PORt-Royal 23-41' Bottom right, stamped in black ink: 'SUCCESSION / BRASSAÏ / ESTATE'
    Translation
    Leaving the ball at closing time (Sortie du bal à la fermeture)
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.
Subject 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.

Some of Brassaï’s most iconic images depict the scandalous nightlife in bars and brothels, exposing the city’s debaucherous underbelly. Scenes of prostitution, sexual interactions and nudity are not uncommon and present an almost practical view of the working women. Brassaï also frequented dance halls, depicting performers, ethnic minorities and members of the LGBTQ community. Overall, the indiscriminate scope of Brassaï’s photographs present this previously unseen side of Paris alongside more traditional subject matter such as society functions and opera dancers. His ability to document a complete cross section of society provides an authentic glimpse into Parisian life in the 1930s.
Bibliographic reference
Brassaï, 1899-1984 (sale catalogue), Paris, France: Drouot-Montaigne, 2006, p357
Collection
Accession number
E.925-2014

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Record createdApril 15, 2015
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