Willy Ronis and HCB

hoot

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We like to engage in "print exchanges" on RFF sometimes. Apparently, Willy Ronis and Henri Cartier-Bresson did the same, at least once. Here (click) is an article that appeared in the French newspaper l'Humanité upon HCB's death in 2004. Ronis (who, for the benefit of those who don't know, is a long-time celebrated photojournalist and member of Magnum, which HCB founded) was interviewed at the time. A quotation from this interview appears at the bottom of the article. Ronis mentions the print exchange and recounts his words to HCB, which I translated here:

"I'd like to have a print of your photograph of the children at Simiane-la-Rotonde because there is extraordinary tenderness in it. I'm an incurable sentimental, and this photograph simply makes my heart beat."

The HCB photo that Ronis mentions is a relatively obscure one, but it perfectly mirrors Ronis's predilection. The photograph may have Cartier-Bresson's typical geometry, but I think it has all of Ronis's sentimentality, as well. It makes me see HCB and Ronis as a sort of Kubrick-and-Spielberg team, yet in much better complementation.

What is your favorite HCB photo?
 

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Hoot,
interesting, I did not know this article ! Tho both had quite opposite social roots, artistically and emotionally they undoubtedly were quite close to each other. Maybe they realized the congruent parts of their approach first when they were old ?
Actually this photo is one of those in HCBs work which really touched me strongly too.
One of those which stay in your mind when you put the book aside.
Ronis must be 96 or even 98, wish I could meet him when I go to Paris in June. Maybe I should call him for an interview ? As an authorized representative of RFF ? 🙂)

Regards,
Bertram
 
I love Willy Ronis's work, a much under rated photographer for a while. The Amateur Photographer did a very good article on him a couple of years ago. For a while he used the so called French Leica, the Foca and its lenses. A camera little known outside France.
 
Favourite HCB photo? Easy! The one with the fat man with a bowler hat in the middle, children all around and a huge white wall with square shapes on it. Don't know the title but it's _the photo you see here_.
 
hoot said:
What is your favorite HCB photo?


Eu228.jpg



Dublin 1952
 
Good morning RFF community, and thank you Hoot for this thread,
Is this the pic you are refering to, RML? (see attachment) It is a very good one. My favorite HCB photo is .... oh my, there are so many... maybe “Siphnos”, the one with a litlle girl rushing up the steps(see attachment); all HCB is in this photo: strong composition, decisive moment and mystery.
I understand Ronis' choice: indeed, the "children at Simiane-la-Rotonde” is a photo with a lot of tenderness and softness, expressing the sweet pleasures of childhood. And it reminds me of Baudelaire's verses "Mais le vert paradis des amours enfantines / L'innocent paradis plein de plaisirs furtifs ... " [And the green paradise of childhood loves/ The innocent paradise full of stealthy pleasures ..."] ... unfortunately a paradise lost.
Bests,
Marc
 

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For me its very difficult remeber what its my concrete favorite photo of HCB, Doisneau, Erwitt...

I have one great book edited by Taschen of Willy Ronis. Ronis is other of the great humanism, have really impressive photos. Maybe, I dont know what!? its less popular than HCB, Doisneau... I never live in France. I dont know what its the real esteem of his work, but for me, its a great photograph, without never to envy the fame of others...

Some images that emotion me...
 

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Hello,
Beniliam, you're right Ronis is a great great photographer and he is very well-known over here, I mean in France. There has been a huge exhibition on his work in Paris this year at the Hôtel de Ville and it has been a big success. People were queueing hours to see his prints.
In fact, I must say that HCB is less praised than Ronis over here and much less famous than Doisneau who is "the" French photographer of the century. The reason why, I think, is simple: there is tenderness, emotion and humanity in each of Doisneau's works (or Ronis'). And for French people, in particular, Doisneau reminds us of the time where Paris was a human city, he reminds us of the "bistrots" (bars), the "guingettes" (popular balls) ... etc.
I don't say there isn't emotion and humanity in HCB work, but it's often less obvious. The reason why lay in the very project of HCB: being a neutral witness of his time, seizing the pure event, making accurate report of reality. HCB (with Robert Capa!) has invented photojournalism, don't forget it, and this is what made him famous ... but he did not steal his crown.
Bests,
Marc
PS: I personally prefer Doisneau to HCB and yet HCB remains a model for me.
 
Marc-A. said:
In fact, I must say that HCB is less praised than Ronis over here and much less famous than Doisneau who is "the" French photographer of the century. The reason why, I think, is simple: there is tenderness, emotion and humanity in each of Doisneau's works (or Ronis'). And for French people, in particular, Doisneau reminds us of the time where Paris was a human city, he reminds us of the "bistrots" (bars), the "guingettes" (popular balls) ... etc.
I don't say there isn't emotion and humanity in HCB work, but it's often less obvious.
Marc,

I very much agree with your comment. Most of Doisneau's pictures have a universal appeal (in France, at least) because they're so emotionally charged, whereas some of Cartier-Bresson's work is often dismissed by people who fail to appreciate its compositional qualities. Doisneau's "le baiser de l'hotel de ville" and HCB's "Salerno, Italy, 1933" are two examples of pictures that are clearly identifiable as, and representative of, their respective author's style. That said, a small number of pictures by Doisneau, HCB and Ronis could have been taken by either photographer (e.g. this one).

Vincent
 
Thank you very much for you large and detailed answer Marc.

Possibly the work of Doisneau have more ´emotional pics´ than the work of HCB, but I believe that they are two types of sensitivities, only differents... I have other book of Doisneau, the same author that the book of Ronis: Jean - Claude Gautrand. Have with Taschen an important collaboration.

Vincent I have the Spanish version of the book.

I remember last year when I went with my father to the hospital, in the room of chemotherapy, had two photos of Doisneau in the wall. They were young childrens playing in ruins, how I imagined here with the camera... I remember that I said to my father: Esto es fotografia, esto es fotografia! (This is photography, this is photography). He will not see my photos... never

Other great photograph is Izis, ( Israel Bidermanas). Paris des Reves, great photo book too.
 

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Marc-A. said:
Hello,

In fact, I must say that HCB is less praised than Ronis over here and much less famous than Doisneau who is "the" French photographer of the century. The reason why, I think, is simple: there is tenderness, emotion and humanity in each of Doisneau's works (or Ronis'). And for French people, in particular, Doisneau reminds us of the time where Paris was a human city, he reminds us of the "bistrots" (bars), the "guingettes" (popular balls) ...
.

Marc,
this confirms my (German) view on these photogs, Ronis and Doisneau were simply French photogs, and without any exaggeration one can say IMO that Doisneau had even been a Parisian photog, hardly known outside of France..

Related to Ronis and Doisneu my heart speaks French , so to say, I like them both better too, they are both real photogs and thus closer to my soul, HCB had been half a painter at least, which makes his oeuvre clearly different and not always accessible for me, because I suffer from the lack of any kind of painting education.

The most important thing for me is that both described the life and Qartiers of the less rich people, mostly working class, a hard and small life mostly . Nonetheless their photos are full of optimism and warmhearted sympathy, dealing with the the small, the simple but the true joys of human life, without beeing sentimental in a negative sense. .
They really lived their humanistic social approach , at least we can say that concerning their photos .

Like Boubat, Izis and some others Ronis was unknown to me until about 2001, today I own several books with many hundred photos, some of them were never sold in Germany, but Taschen (Danke, Herr Taschen !) published an affordable book and there is another one now available here , published to accompany the still touring Ronis exhibiton in Germany. Must I mention I went there ?

Taschen BTW has published another book recently, "Paris Mon Amour", great prints, cheap, and very interesting because I still found more unknown French photogs in there, their photos on par with the famous names, exciting !

Regards,
bertram
 
Beniliam said:
Some images that emotion me...

Beni,

the one in the middle is one of his most famous, fom his Belleville book he published in the 50s.
Last year I did some walks across Belleville, searching for houses and facilities which have survived the pretty radical urban renewal in the 80s, but this place has vanished completely , incredible, as if it never had existed . They have built the Parc Belleville there.
I went down the stairs leading into the park, , sat on a bank and mourned for a world which has disappeared for ever. Merde! Les spéculateurs ont gagné.


Best,
bertram
 
Paradox: La Fotographie... fille de la modernité... will destroy the essence of the Photography by the progress of the Modern Age...
 
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