Can you explain why HCB chose this photo?

[cliveh]

Yes, it does. But Cartier-Bresson's arrogance was justified - probably even more so from his point of view. A photo doesn't have much going for it all on its own. Most people seem to think the camera is responsible for it. Cartier-Bresson started taking photos at a time when practically no one thought they were worth anything. So whatever could add to the mythology, the better.

Well said.

 

[Harry Callahan]

Awesome article. Thank you for sharing!

You`re welcome!

On reflection, the superb sleuthing by @Alex Benjamin has explained (a) why HCB was at that location, and (b) one reason why he may have been fond of the image. But for me it doesn’t satisfactorily explain (c) why he took the photo, or (d) why he considered it good enough for this retrospective selection...

Well c) only can be guessed by us. This place apparently had significance for his life. He may have taken this picture because the place was significant to him or because he considered it to be a good picture.
Maybe it even was just some kind of "warm-up"-picture. He had been in prison for three years and probably had to recover from that; maybe this picture is on the first roll he shot after making it into freedom.

With d) its the same, he may have selected this picture because it was important to him or because he considered it a good one.
As this picture shows a place being important to his life, maybe there also are other pictures in this book also being important in his life. Not only places but also people who helped him out or influenced his work/thinking as an artist.
If there are more pictures of this kind, this book also could be autographical.

The way things are going, we may get back to this sooner rather than later.

Unfortunately, yes.

 

[Don_ih]

Yes, it's very likely that the vast numbers of people who cannot afford rent, let alone a house with a garden, will be growing vegetables in their ... imaginary patch.

 

[Alex Benjamin]

this book also could be autographical

The book is autobiographical. The title is Henri Cartier-Bresson : photographe, meaning "I am Henri Cartier-Bresson, this is what I saw through the camera." It's not meant as These are my best pictures, or These are the pictures which conform with my ideas of art being about geometry. It's about his life—travels, the war, the artists he knew—and what he saw during his life. It's a memoir through photography rather than through words, because he was an observer, not a writer. These photos were taken by choice, because he had the choice. The choice to travel where he wanted, when he wanted. He had that luxury — it wasn't by assignment —, at a time when this type of travel was still possible, when it was still possible to go to China, or to the USSR, to travel throughout Europe and throughout the US, just because you wanted to see what was happening there.

He really is a fascinating character because you do get the strange sense that there's no distinct "who he is" and "what he saw", but that the two are somehow meshed together. The result, the how what he saw became photographs through who he is, is, of course, remarkable.

 

[snusmumriken]

These photos were taken by choice, because he had the choice. The choice to travel where he wanted, when he wanted. He had that luxury — it wasn't by assignment —, at a time when this type of travel was still possible, when it was still possible to go to China, or to the USSR, to travel throughout Europe and throughout the US, just because you wanted to see what was happening there.

I'm not clear whether his travels in the USSR, China, India, etc were fishing expeditions at his own expense as you imply; or whether the Magnum cooperative issued and facilitated assignments, as implied by the WIkipedia article about HCB; or whether they were commissions from - for example - Life magazine. Maybe it was a mix of all three.

Interesting article about HCB in the USSR here.

@snusmumriken : can we ask you to post the photos that accompany this one, before and after?

Sorry for my late reply to this, Daniela. I'm afraid the answer will not help much: either side are portraits, of Bonnard and of Giacometti.

 

[Alex Benjamin]

I'm not clear whether his travels in the USSR, China, India, etc were fishing expeditions at his own expense as you imply; or whether the Magnum cooperative issued and facilitated assignments, as implied by the WIkipedia article about HCB; or whether they were commissions from - for example - Life magazine. Maybe it was a mix of all three.

You are absolutely right in pointing that there is some ambiguity about this, and I don't have a precise answer.

I still find it fascinating that to this day there is not a single in-depth biography about him that could answer many of these questions.

 

[Alan Edward Klein]

Maybe the publisher mistakenly put it in there when assembling the photos.

 

[cliveh]

One day many years ago, I opened the Guardian newspaper to this image entitled Moscow Trolley Stop, taken in 1954 and printed over two pages. This image blew me away. It made the cover of Time Life Magazine. How good is that?

 

[Pieter12]

Maybe the publisher mistakenly put it in there when assembling the photos.

I doubt that very much. The book is essentially a catalog for an exhibition held at the ICP in NY. HCB ended up donating the photo to ICP later on.

 

[Harry Callahan]

The book is autobiographical....

Then this is the answer to snusmumrikens question d), the selection of this pictures was autobiographical.

 

[Bill Burk]

Or better yet: "Tell him to check Photrio. I hear there's a good thread on the subject already."

At leas I know I don’t have to dig out the big book. If it were in there his foundation certainly had a copy.

And my favorite Google searches come here.

 

[awty]

HCB sketches.

 

[Pieter12]

HCB sketches.

He wasn't that good as an artist. His paintings are rather primitive. He wanted to paint like Matisse, his good friend.

 

[Sirius Glass]

Maybe HBC had to make a rent payment?! What do you think?

 

[Pieter12]

Maybe HBC had to make a rent payment?! What do you think?

Left field.

 

[awty]

He wasn't that good as an artist. His paintings are rather primitive. He wanted to paint like Matisse, his good friend.

The photo in question is similar to his sketch style, don't you think?

 

[Don_ih]

@awty the photo is similar to a couple of those sketches. But, being mostly bare trees with snow on the ground, it would be hard for it not to be.

 

[Alan Edward Klein]

@awty the photo is similar to a couple of those sketches. But, being mostly bare trees with snow on the ground, it would be hard for it not to be.

View attachment 385829 View attachment 385831

Interesting. I thought the first picture might do it.
https://www.photrio.com/forum/attachments/images-19-jpeg.385787/

 

[lic4]

It’s good to get photo books by photographers for this reason. Often we see the classic, famous prints online, used in articles to define how brilliant the photographer is, but the books have photographs that aren’t all at the same level. They can’t all be home runs, but the entire body of work can show the photographer’s wide perspective on the world—which I find more interesting.

 

[dpurdy]

Odd what a long lasting topic this is and the need to pass judgement on an HCB image/decision, if he even made it. I have actually come to like it quite a bit.

 

[Pieter12]

if he even made it.

The exhibition photos (and the accompanying book) were chosen by HCB as a biographical overview of his career as of 1979.

 

[Don_ih]

the need to pass judgement on an HCB image

Find an image you don't judge, and see if you can tell me anything about it.

You can't talk about something without judgment.

 

[snusmumriken]

Odd what a long lasting topic this is and the need to pass judgement on an HCB image/decision, if he even made it. I have actually come to like it quite a bit.

It’s not a question of passing judgement, it’s a question of wanting to understand.

 

[dpurdy]

Is it good or is it bad is a judgment.

 

[Alex Benjamin]

It’s not a question of passing judgement, it’s a question of wanting to understand.

This.