Henri Cartier-Bresson

On the occasion of Henri Cartier-Bresson's 100th birthday (1908 - 2004), French photo historian Clément Chéroux published a scientifically grounded and richly illustrated biography of the century's photographer in a handy pocket format in 2008. The small volume proved to be so successful that we are now offering it as a new edition in our series "The Little Encyclopedia." Henri Cartier-Bresson, who came from a wealthy Parisian industrial family, initially studied painting before becoming a bystander in the circle of surrealists, and then learned the beginnings of film and acting under Jean Renoir. However, he soon discovered photography for himself. Thanks to a German invention, the Leica 35mm camera, it became his lifelong passion. In his hands, this device evolved into a magical instrument.