Often called the
father of photojournalism, Cartier-Bresson tried to give up photography as a
profession four times in his life, returning to his first love, painting,
repeatedly—but he always kept his Leica in his pocket. The Frenchman captured
the emotion and magnitude of some of the 20th century's most significant news
stories by simply turning his camera away from the main event and into the
crowd. This, too, is Assouline's approach to biography. Drawing on five years of
conversations with his subject, Assouline presents not a chronological or
critical accounting of events but a portrait, illustrated through descriptions
of Cartier-Bresson's photographs (almost none of which are reproduced in the
book) and summarized with generalizations of the artist's approach toward art
and life: "His taste was classical: he needed that kind of order to counter the
vulgarity of the world outside" or "In affairs of the heart, he was a seductive
romantic." Energetic and informative passages describe Cartier-Bresson's years
as a soldier and his travels to the Ivory Coast, China and India (where he
photographed Gandhi just hours before his death). Despite its gaps—such as mere
passing references to Cartier-Bresson's two marriages—this smooth hagiography
will inspire fans and followers to rediscover its elusive subject's remarkable
oeuvre. (Nov. 28)
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