Barrio Chino, Barcelona, Circa 1990

Henri Cartier Bresson   Master Artists

Henri Cartier-Bresson, born in 1908, was a French photographer.

He is considered to be one of the pioneers of photojournalism with an artistic twist. In 1947, he founded the famous Magnum Photos agency, together with Robert Capa, David Seymour, William Vandivert (de) and George Rodger.

Known for his precision and the plasticity of his compositions (that he would never crop), he worked especially in street reportage, and he managed to represent the picturesque or significant aspects of daily life. His black and white photographs made a significant impact upon the history of art.

In 2003, a foundation named after himself was opened in order to preserve and present his work.

"For me, the camera is a sketchbook, an instrument of intuition and spontaneity, the master of an instant that, in visual terms, questions and decides at the same time. In order to "signify" the world, one has to feel involved in the frame they are cropping through their viewfinder. This attitude demands concentration, sensitivity, and a sense of geometry. One can reach the simplest expression through economy of means and while forgeting oneself."