- Robert Doisneau: Simple, funny, real
One of my favorite photographers of all-time is the french legend, Robert Doisneau. At one point in time, you have seen his photographs or at least the one with a french couple kissing on the streets entitled “Le baiser de l’hôtel de ville.” No one knew the identities of the pair until 1993 when Denise and Jean-Louis Lavergne took him to court claiming it was them. The lawsuit made Doisneau admit that he used actor/models Françoise Bornet and her then boyfriend Jacques Carteaud.
Le baiser de l'hôtel de ville
Mr. Doisneau was born on April 14, 1914 in Gentilly, Val-de-Marne. He attended École Estienne in Paris, but he always claimed that the streets of the working class neighborhood is where he received his real education and his work shows it. Doisneau began photographing when Modernist ideas were just beginning to promote photography as a viable means of artistry and reporting. During WWII and the German occupation, his talents were utlized to forge documents for the underground. He later recommenced his work with a stint with Vogue Magazine from 1948 to 1952 and eventually joined a group called Group XV, which was a collection of photographers dedicated to improving and promoting the art of photography.
Doisneau has been noted for his use of humor in real life, while contrasting the non-conformist with the establishment. His favorite city to photograph in was Paris, France and his favorite subjects were of children roaming and playing in the streets freely, unhindered by parents. He’s one of my favorite photographers because his work was shot in a candid and real way, yet it almost looks like something from another place and time that has never existed.
Here are some of his more well-known works, but I recommend that you get Icons: Robert Doisneau: 1912-1994 because it’s a great little coffee table book with his most famous works.
2 posts in one day! You know it’s Friday when . . .
Interesting post, was Le baiser de l’hôtel de ville the only photo he staged?
it’s friday…and two posts are a must.
He rarely staged pictures. He would more or less ‘recreate’ or ‘stage’ pictures that he saw earlier in the day or week at the same spot with models.
But mostly, he would spend hours sitting at his favorite street corner or promonade and wait to take the perfect picture. He considered himself to be a “fisher” of pictures. Sometimes he’d wait an entire day to take only one picture.