ARTIST DOSSIER

Henri Cartier-Bresson

By Jean Dykstra

Published: October 1, 2008

The artist in 1930

From the Files

+ The auction record for Cartier-Bresson was set at Christie’s New York in April when a vintage gelatin silver print of Hyères, France, 1932, sold for $265,000(est. $60–90,000).

+ Even lesser-known Cartier-Bresson prints are being sought after by collectors.The Santa Monica dealer Peter Fetterman had an exhibit of Bresson’s work last spring called “Rarely Seen,” from which he sold a 1954 photograph of young Bolshoi ballerinas at the barre for $20,000.

+ Images à la sauvette, the title of his first book of photographs, published in1952, translates as “pictures on the run.” The English edition was titled The Decisive Moment, from a quote by the 17th-century cardinal de Retz. The phrase is inextricably linked with Cartier-Bresson.

+ A highlight of this month’s photography auctions is the artist’s Rue Mouffetard, Paris, 1954, at Christie’s New York October 13–14 (est. $15–$25,000).

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The market is likely to continue itsupward trajectory when a survey of thephotographer’s work being organized byPeter Galassi, curator of photography at the Museum of Modern Art, opens there in 2010.Cartier-Bresson’s first show at moma was in 1946. Itwas conceived as “posthumous,” since he was presumedto have died after being taken prisoner by theGermans, but since he had in fact survived, he woundup working on the exhibition with the museum.

Cartier-Bresson fans can view his work this fallin two shows: “Walker Evans/Henri Cartier-Bresson:Photographing America,” at the Fondation Cartier-Bresson from September 10 until December 21, and“Henri Cartier-Bresson and the Art and Photographyof Paris,” at the Art Institute of Chicago, September10 through January 4, 2009. Collectors will have thechance to bid on 13 works, including Rue Mouffetard(est. $15–25,000), at the Christie’s New York photographysale on October 13 and 14.

“Most photographers have in their canonthree or four great pictures,” says Fetterman. “HenriCartier-Bresson has a hundred great ones. That’swhy he’s important.” "Henri Cartier-Bresson" originally appeared in the October 2008 issue of Art+Auction. For a complete list of articles from this issue available on ARTINFO, see Art+Auction's October 2008 Table of Contents.