Henri Cartier-Bresson

(French, 1908–2004)

Henri Cartier-Bresson was a French photographer and filmmaker known as a pioneer of street photography. His dramatic black-and-white works are among the most iconic images of the 20th century. The artist is perhaps best known for his 1952 book The Decisive Moment, originally titled Images à la Sauvette (Images on the Run), the book explored his notion of photography as a candid medium. “To take a photograph means to recognize, simultaneously and within a fraction of a second‚ both the fact itself and the rigorous organization of visually perceived forms that give it meaning,” Cartier-Bresson once explained. Born on August 22, 1908 in Chanteloup, France, he studied painting with André Lhote before becoming a photojournalist in the 1930s. He counted Man Ray, André Kertész, and Eugène Atget as major influences to his practice. Over the decades that followed, he travelled all over the world capturing scenes in Africa, Europe, and Mexico. Joining the French resistance during the Nazi occupation, the photographer was captured and spent three years in a prison camp. In 1947, the artist helped found the cooperative agency Magnum Photos with Robert Capa, David Seymour, George Rodger, and William Vandiver. Cartier-Bresson went on to receive the Grand Prix National de la Photographie in 1981 and the Hasselblad Award the following year. He died on August 3, 2004 in Montjustin, France at the age of 95. Today, the artist’s works are held in the collections of The Museum of Modern Art in New York, the Tel Aviv Museum of Art, the National Gallery of Canada in Ottawa, and the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, among others.

Henri Cartier-Bresson News

Art & Exhibitions

Three Artists, Immersed In Far-Flung Residencies, Offer Unique Takes on Human Truths at New York's International Center of Photography

by William Van Meter
Three Artists, Immersed In Far-Flung Residencies, Offer Unique Takes on Human Truths at New York's International Center of Photography
Artnet Auctions

Artnet's Solomon Bass Discusses How Five Works From Our Current Auction Embody the Modern Ethos

by Artnet Auctions
Artnet's Solomon Bass Discusses How Five Works From Our Current Auction Embody the Modern Ethos
Events and Parties

Editors' Picks: 12 Things Not to Miss in the Virtual Art World This Week

by Artnet News
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Henri Cartier-Bresson Artworks

Artworks for Sale &
Auction Results

Henri Cartier-Bresson (5,181 results)
Istanbul, Turkey, 1965

Henri Cartier-Bresson

Istanbul, Turkey, 1965

Sale Date: April 5, 2024

Auction Closed

On the Banks of the Marne, France, 1938

Henri Cartier-Bresson

On the Banks of the Marne, France, 1938

Sale Date: April 5, 2024

Auction Closed

Rue Mouffetard, Paris, 1954

Henri Cartier-Bresson

Rue Mouffetard, Paris, 1954

Sale Date: April 5, 2024

Auction Closed

Behind the Gare Saint-Lazare, Paris, 1932

Henri Cartier-Bresson

Behind the Gare Saint-Lazare, Paris, 1932

Sale Date: April 5, 2024

Auction Closed

Brussels, 1932

Henri Cartier-Bresson

Brussels, 1932

Sale Date: April 5, 2024

Auction Closed

Long Distance Haul, Raleigh, North Carolina, 1955

Henri Cartier-Bresson

Long Distance Haul, Raleigh, North Carolina, 1955

Sale Date: April 4, 2024

Auction Closed

Portraits d'Alberto Giacometti, 1960–1969

Henri Cartier-Bresson

Portraits d'Alberto Giacometti, 1960–1969

Sale Date: March 21, 2024

Auction Closed

Portrait de Jean Guillou et sa fille, 1976

Henri Cartier-Bresson

Portrait de Jean Guillou et sa fille, 1976

Sale Date: March 21, 2024

Auction Closed

Portrait de Roberto Matta, 1970

Henri Cartier-Bresson

Portrait de Roberto Matta, 1970

Sale Date: March 21, 2024

Auction Closed

Brussels, 1932, 1932

Henri Cartier-Bresson

Brussels, 1932, 1932

Sale Date: April 3, 2024

Auction Closed

On the Banks of the Marne, 1938, 1938

Henri Cartier-Bresson

On the Banks of the Marne, 1938, 1938

Sale Date: April 3, 2024

Auction Closed

Behind the Gare St. Lazare, Paris 1932, 1932

Henri Cartier-Bresson

Behind the Gare St. Lazare, Paris 1932, 1932

Sale Date: April 3, 2024

Auction Closed

Inside the sliding doors of the bullfight..., 1933

Henri Cartier-Bresson

Inside the sliding doors of the bullfight..., 1933

Sale Date: March 20, 2024

Auction Closed

Rue Mouffetard, Paris, 1954

Henri Cartier-Bresson

Rue Mouffetard, Paris, 1954

Sale Date: March 20, 2024

Auction Closed

Alicante, Spain, 1933

Henri Cartier-Bresson

Alicante, Spain, 1933

Sale Date: March 14, 2024

Auction Closed

Madrid, 1933

Henri Cartier-Bresson

Madrid, 1933

Sale Date: February 15, 2024

Auction Closed

Rue Mouffetard, Paris, 1954

Henri Cartier-Bresson

Rue Mouffetard, Paris, 1954

Sale Date: February 15, 2024

Auction Closed

Portrait of the iconic graphic designer..., 1964

Henri Cartier-Bresson

Portrait of the iconic graphic designer..., 1964

Sale Date: February 15, 2024

Auction Closed

Woman with American Flag (Independence Day,..., 1947

Henri Cartier-Bresson

Woman with American Flag (Independence Day,..., 1947

Sale Date: February 15, 2024

Auction Closed

Behind the Gare Saint-Lazare, 1932

Henri Cartier-Bresson

Behind the Gare Saint-Lazare, 1932

Sale Date: February 15, 2024

Auction Closed

Coronation of King George VI, London, May..., 1937

Henri Cartier-Bresson

Coronation of King George VI, London, May..., 1937

Sale Date: February 14, 2024

Auction Closed

Rue Mouffetard, Paris, 1954, 1954

Henri Cartier-Bresson

Rue Mouffetard, Paris, 1954, 1954

Sale Date: February 22, 2024

Auction Closed

Hyères, 1932, 1932

Henri Cartier-Bresson

Hyères, 1932, 1932

Sale Date: February 22, 2024

Auction Closed

Gitans (Gypsies), Granada, 1933, 1933

Henri Cartier-Bresson

Gitans (Gypsies), Granada, 1933, 1933

Sale Date: February 22, 2024

Auction Closed

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