Street Photography: Henri Cartier-Bresson's Iconic Works

This report assesses five iconic works of photographer Henri Cartier-Bresson, known for his masterful street photography. Explore his photographs capturing the decisive moments and social commentary of everyday life in Paris, New York, Madrid, Italy, and France.

STREET PHOTOGRAPHY
RESEARCH AND VISUAL
ANALYSIS

TABLE OF CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................3
MAIN BODY..................................................................................................................................3
Place de l'Europe. Gare Saint Lazare. Paris, France, 1932..........................................................3
New York – Solitude Downtown, 1947......................................................................................5
Young boys playing in the street Madrid, Spain, 1933...............................................................6
Italy. Sicily. Palermo. 1971.........................................................................................................7
The Var Department. Hyeres. 1932.............................................................................................8
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................9

INTRODUCTION
Photography is the process of developing tangible images by recording light of a subject
that the photographer wishes to record. Photography is an artistic medium through which the
artist or photographer can convey various themes and meanings, conduct social commentary of
the society and express themselves. Street photography is the art of recording random incidents
and change encounters by the photographer which are candid in naturei. This report assesses five
iconic works of photographer Henri Cartier-Bresson who was a French photographer, often
considered a master of street or candid photography. His works centre around capturing the
decisive moment in all his candid photographs.
MAIN BODY
Place de l'Europe. Gare Saint Lazare. Paris, France, 1932
Figure 1: Gare Saint Lazare, Place de l'Europe. Paris, France. 1932ii
The Gare Saint Lazare, Place de l'Europe. Paris, France, 1932 is said to be amongst the
greatest photographs taken by Henri Cartier-Bresson as it is a perfect embodiment of his
philosophy of capturing the most decisive moment. This photo was iconic because it not only
captured the decisive moment but also because to take it, Henri had to be immensely flexible
which was only possible through the small handheld Leica that Henri had access tooiii. When the
photograph was released in 1932, there were no other alternative photos of this calibre and set
Henri apart from his contemporaries in both vision, style and art.
The first thing that is most obvious to any viewer is the composition of the photograph.
The photo drives the attention of the viewer to figure of a man who is jumping above a puddle
along with his reflection in the water. This is a powerful technique used by Henri as the
juxtaposition of the man and his reflection in the puddle straightaway draws the attention of the
viewer upon their first gaze at the photograph. The composition of the subject that is the figure of
the man is very natural to our eyes because we experience dark figure with light background or
vice versa, in everyday life.

On a closer inspection of the photograph, the viewer can observe figure of a person
jumping in the poster as well which is also a contrast to the jumping figure of the man captured
as the primary subject of the imageiv. However, the most iconic part of this picture is that Henri
was able to capture the tension that causes the man to make the leap as our brain instinctively
know what is going to happen next, but as the picture is frozen at a particular instant in time,
which Henri often called the decisive moment, our anticipation is proven wrong, providing
another facet to the iconic image.
The image is also immensely candid and reflects the struggles and hardships that
common people go through every day without even paying attention. This creates social
commentary about the times and daily struggles of people living during the 1930’s, which is also
immensely important to street photography.

New York – Solitude Downtown, 1947
Figure 2: New York- Solitude Downtown, 1947v
The New York- Solitude Downtown photograph of Henri Cartier-Bresson is another
iconic street photograph taken in the Manhattan area of New York. This picture is also iconic
because of its primary subject the man and the alley cat and the composition of the environment
that surrounds them in this recorded frozen duration of time. The composition of the photograph
directly attracts the attention of the viewer to the subject i.e. the human and the cat, having a
small respite of privacy and solitude in the dark streets of New York, which have always been
synonymous with crime and danger in the western societyvi. As the New York city, particularly
Manhattan area is always noisy, bustling and full of people, Henri is able to convey the other less
popular side of the city showcasing the momentary solitude which brings a man and a stray alley
cat together, while the rest of the busy population continues their daily routine away from the
photograph.
The photo also says a lot and can be used as social commentary about the society of the
time during which it was taken, a characteristic of street art. The tall dark streets signifying the
inhuman conditions of the workers during a time in American history when labour laws were lax
and racism was a common part of daily population’s lives. But this darkness of the streets is
broken by light from the windows of people’s homes providing a new perspective that there is
still good left as the man and cat share a solitary moment together. The photograph is also open
ended, relying on the viewer’s imagination as to what the intentions of the man and cat are in the
photograph.
Young boys playing in the street Madrid, Spain, 1933
Figure 3: Young boys playing in the street. Madrid, Spain, 1933vii
Young boys playing in the street is another legendry photograph of Henri Cartier-Bresson
which was captured in Madrid, Spain in 1933. This photograph is basically shows how young
generation of the Spain was expended their time in such activities. These young boys are playing
a traditional game of this country. In 1933, local people of Spain was not having proper modern
toys for playingviii. These boys within photograph are generally comes from low income group
families. Their families living on the street by making small homes on different streets. That’s

why these boys are playing on the street, because on that time local many children and boys were
not has proper grounds and play parks. In 1933, children and boys who comes from high income
group of families, in which only those children or young boys was capable to play in the park or
a ground. On the other side, when photographer was capturing them, then they are completely
focuses on the game which they currently playing in this photograph.
Spain was not a well-developed country on that time, because local people was badly
impacted through different world wars. That’s why many people were not has proper job like the
United States of America. Only few selected people capable to live in expensive homes in the
Spain in 1933, because lots population this year was live in on the street. In 30’s or 40’s street
culture was very famous in many countries. On that time, people were not able to afford a
liveable house, so they started to live on the streets. They made different tiny houses for living
which was completely attached with existing streets. That’s why their children and young boys
& girls mostly started to play on the street. Many people regularly pass away from those streets,
but these boys were daily playing on these streets without any careix. However, these boys avoid
to play on the street in only that condition when they see any cop or police officer on the street.
Henri Cartier-Bresson’s this photograph is the proof that, people was take many too much steps
for joying, fun and passing time. This photograph generally shows fun aspect of people who was
lived on various streets of the Spain in1933.
Italy. Sicily. Palermo. 1971
Figure 4: Italy. Sicily. Palermo. 1971x
This in another prime photograph of Henri Cartier-Bresson which shows 1971’s fun and
joy time of Italian street kids who are playing with a wheel in Italy’s Sicily, Palermo. Currently
Italy is well-developed country, but between 70’s and 80’s this country has also negatively
impacted by world war. On that time many people were having no money for buying a house.
That’s was they were not able to afford aa house, so they were also chosen street side for living.
That’s why their kids or children was also choosing various streets for playingxi. In 1971, street
kids of the Italy were no need to play with some specific toys, because they were mostly started
playing with various existing things, like wheel, stones, bottles etc. In the era of 1970’s and 80’s
a common people was easily differentiate between a street kid or a rich kid, because on that time

most of the Italian streets kids used such wheels as a playing toy. That’s why people in 1971 can
easily identified attributes of street kids.
This photograph of Henri Cartier-Bresson is completely same as his other photographs,
because this photographer has always captured those photographs which can show street culture
of different places. This street photograph where two Italian kids used wheel as a playing toy,
and backside of these kids there are many cars stands, in which these cars indicates that, many
people were capable to maintain a car for daily use in Italy in 1971. But according to this
photograph, people were not capable to buy house in this same year of this country. In this is the
main reason that, these kids are playing on streets of Italy. On that time period, local people was
highly affected by different wars. That’s why only few people of this country was able to afford
liveable house. Basically, street culture was too popular on that time in the Italy, most people
was joy to live on various streets, because they not have any other favourable option for living.
In this dynamic and modern world, many people within many countries are still living on the
streets, in which Henri Cartier-Bresson’s photography is completely has based on the people who
live and stays on the street. According to photographer Henri, these streets are not only streets,
because these are an emotion for many people as well.
The Var Department. Hyeres. 1932
Figure 5: The Var Department. Hyeres. 1932xii
This photograph is also captured by famous photographer Henri Cartier-Bresson on the
street of the southern Hyeres town, France. It is also a common street photo, but it shows and
defines different memories of 1932’s era. In this photograph, a man is riding bicycle, and this
photo by captured by the photographer standing on existing stairs. This is photo opens many
stories of French street culture of 1932. On that time, this country was also undeveloped like
many other countries, because France was in its developing stage in this era when this
photograph was captured. By seeing this photo of Henri Cartier-Bresson anyone can analyse
that, there are people were built many buildings with many floors in the France in 1932. On that
time, most people used only bicycle for travelling on place to another. Only few people have cars
on that time, in which many people only depend on these bicycle for travellingxiii. On that time
period, local government of this country was succeeded in making different paved streets in
various location. In this photograph we can see that, this man is also riding its bicycle in the

paved street. In 1932, many people were lived on the streets in this country, because France was
also highly affected by various civil and international wars. That’s why local government was
not capable to stay focused on development and modernisation. Many existing industries was
also closed due to wars, so local people was not able to earn money. In this the main reason that,
many of French people were lived on the streets in the time period of 1932.
CONCLUSION
It can be concluded that Henri Cartier-Bresson was the great photographer who properly
showed whole world that how people of different used streets in their personal life. Basically he
was a world famous humanist photographer. He is also known as a master of the candid
photography. He was having skills of showing location’s structure, culture and environment only
with a single photograph. He was shared different street photographs with the world, where it
tries show street culture of various locations. Currently Mr. Cartier-Bresson has huge respect the
photography world.

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APPENDIX

Figure 6: Gare Saint Lazare, Place de l'Europe. Paris, France. 1932
Figure 7: New York- Solitude Downtown, 1947

Figure 8: Young boys playing in the street. Madrid, Spain, 1933
Figure 9: Italy. Sicily. Palermo. 1971

Figure 10: The Var Department. Hyeres. 1932