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Naples

Photograph
1963 (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

The Victoria and Albert Museum has over 440 photographs by Henri Cartier-Bresson (1908-2004), a French photographer who is considered to be one of the fathers of photojournalism and masters of candid photography. He sought to capture the 'everyday' in his photographs and took great interest in recording human activity. He wrote, "For me the camera is a sketch book, an instrument of intuition and spontaneity, the master of the instant which, in visual terms, questions and decides simultaneously. In order to 'give a meaning' to the world, one has to feel involved in what one frames through the viewfinder. This attitude requires concentration, discipline of mind, sensitivity, and a sense of geometry. It is by economy of means that one arrives at simplicity of expression."

As a reporter and co-founder of the Magnum photography agency, Cartier-Bresson accepted his responsibility to supply information to a world in a hurry. He documented the liberation of Paris, the collapse of the Nationalist regime in China, Gandhi's funeral and the partitioning of Berlin. Cartier-Bresson helped develop the street photography style that has influenced generations of photographers that followed.


Object details

Categories
Object type
TitleNaples (popular title)
Materials and techniques
Gelatin silver print
Brief description
Black and white photograph by Henri Cartier-Bresson depicting a newspaper stall with a seated male couple. Naples, 1963.
Physical description
Black and white photograph of a newspaper and magazine stall with a make-shift bench full of various magazine issues pinned to the wall. To the right, two young men sit on a wooden chair, one straddling the other. The first man seated on the chair looks intently at the other, and plays with the other man's tie. The second man, wearing a suit, appears the more carefree of the two. He rubs his own back and smiles down the street past the newspaper stand.
Dimensions
  • Length: 39.5cm
  • Height: 29.5cm
Dimensions taken from departmental notes
Subjects depicted
Places depicted
Summary
The Victoria and Albert Museum has over 440 photographs by Henri Cartier-Bresson (1908-2004), a French photographer who is considered to be one of the fathers of photojournalism and masters of candid photography. He sought to capture the 'everyday' in his photographs and took great interest in recording human activity. He wrote, "For me the camera is a sketch book, an instrument of intuition and spontaneity, the master of the instant which, in visual terms, questions and decides simultaneously. In order to 'give a meaning' to the world, one has to feel involved in what one frames through the viewfinder. This attitude requires concentration, discipline of mind, sensitivity, and a sense of geometry. It is by economy of means that one arrives at simplicity of expression."

As a reporter and co-founder of the Magnum photography agency, Cartier-Bresson accepted his responsibility to supply information to a world in a hurry. He documented the liberation of Paris, the collapse of the Nationalist regime in China, Gandhi's funeral and the partitioning of Berlin. Cartier-Bresson helped develop the street photography style that has influenced generations of photographers that followed.
Collection
Accession number
PH.595-1978

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Record createdMarch 23, 2009
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