Exhibitions 2005

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Passion for Paris: Photos by Robert Doisneau
Jan. 19 - April 24, 2005

Famed for his impulsive, quirky images of street life in Paris, Robert Doisneau (1912-1994) was one of France’s most popular and prolific photographers. Doisneau began his career in the 1930s as an industrial and advertising photographer for Renault, and later worked for the French Resistance during World War II, photographing the Occupation and Liberation of Paris. In the late 1940s, he flirted briefly with fashion photography before returning to freelance documentary work for Life and other leading international magazines. During his lifetime, his work was included in exhibitions at the Museum of Modern Art in New York, the Art Institute of Chicago, the Bibliotheque Nationale in Paris, and other major institutions.

Some of Doisneau’s photographs, such as Le Baiser du Troittoir (The Kiss on the Sidewalk), have become iconic images of French life. Known for playful and ironic photographs featuring amusing juxtapositions and mingling social classes, Doisneau once wrote: “The marvels of daily life are exciting; no movie director can arrange the unexpected that you find in the street.” The Telfair received a portfolio of fifteen of Doisneau’s works through the generosity of Mr. and Mrs. Benjamin Oxnard, Jr., who also sponsored this exhibition.

Tuesday, August 19, 2008

Exhibitions

Now on view
2005 / 2006 / 2007