Henri Cartier-Bresson: The Decisive Moment

(Hardback)

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Description

The Decisive Moment-originally called Images la Sauvette- is one of the most famous books in the history of photography, assembling Cartier-Bresson's best work from his early years. Published in 1952 by Simon and Schuster, New York, in collaboration with Editions Verve, Paris, it was lavishly embellished with a collage cover by Henri Matisse. The book and its images have since influenced generations of photographers. Its English title has defined the notion of the famous formal peak in which all elements in the photographic frame accumulate to form the perfect image. Paired with the artist's humanist viewpoint, Cartier-Bresson's photography has become part of the world's collective memory. This new publication is a meticulous facsimile of the original book. It comes with an additional booklet containing an essay on the history of The Decisive Moment by Centre Pompidou curator Clment Chroux.

Reviews

Within the canon of European photography books it would be difficult to find one more famous, revered and influential as Henri Cartier-Bresson's Images a la Sauvette or, as the American edition is titled, The Decisive Moment.

For new generations of photographers and artists who have missed out on experiencing many of the world's important books first hand, it cannot be stressed enough how important this new edition of The Decisive Moment is for a contemporary audience. "Robert Frank's The Americans and Cartier-Bresson's The Decisive Moment were published within a few years of each other in the 1950s and both books have since become the blueprint for the modern photography book," Steidl says. "When you look at them, the design, the sequencing of the photos and the printing are - even 60 years later - much better than most of the printed books on the market today. My intention in reprinting both has been to analyze the contents of the books, the intention of the photographers, and to print them in exactly the same way, so the next generation can see how these fine books were made and secure the future of photography publishing."--Jeffrey Ladd "Time Lightbox"