N08775

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Lot 95
  • 95

Henri Cartier-Bresson

Estimate
50,000 - 70,000 USD
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Description

  • Henri Cartier-Bresson
  • SEVILLE, ANDALUCIA
  • gelatin silver
ferrotyped, number '2.' (underlined) in red pencil and with the photographer's Photo Henri Cartier stamp on the reverse, framed, 1933 (Early Work, p. 108; Cartier-Bresson, pl. 90)

Provenance

The photographer to Eva Besnyö, late 1930s

Sotheby's Amsterdam, Photographs, Including The Eva Besnyö Collection, 25 January 2005, Sale 0943, Lot 20

Condition

This early photograph, on heavy paper trimmed to the image, is in generally very good condition. The print is unevenly ferrotyped, primarily at its periphery and in its upper left corner. As is typical of ferrotyped prints, in raking light, faint scuffing, some pitting, and a few hairline scratches are visible overall. There is a 2-1/2-inch scratch that does not break the emulsion extending from the upper image edge. Also visible in raking light are several fingerprints from handling. The reverse of the print is hinged along the upper edge to a modern mat. When examined under ultraviolet light, this print does not appear to fluoresce.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

Catalogue Note

The photographs in Lots 93, 94, and 95 come originally from the personal collection of the photographer Eva Besnyö (1910-2003).  Active in Amsterdam's vibrant artistic community of the 1930s, Besnyö was instrumental in the conception and curating of the international photography exhibition, Foto 37, held at Stedelijk Museum from June to September 1937.

At the time of this writing, a detailed exhibition list has not been located, but a list of photographers included in Foto 37 confirms that both Henri Cartier-Bresson and Robert Capa were participants.  Lot 93, Cartier-Bresson's Mexico City, is reproduced on page 128 of a special issue of the Dutch arts journal, Prisma der Kunsten, which was published on the occasion of the exhibition and served as its catalogue.  A diverse exhibition, Foto 37 also featured the work of Berenice Abbott, Eugène Atget, Raoul Hausmann, Florence Henri, Horst P. Horst, Germaine Krull, and László Moholy-Nagy, who had had a major exhibition at the Stedelijk in 1934.

Foto 37 endeavored not only to provide historical context for the development of photography, but also to showcase the current state of the art, with an emphasis on photojournalism.  Works by Brassai, Eli Lotar, Henri Cartier-Bresson, and Besnyö herself were organized under the dictum, 'Photography is an International Language.'  The most current images displayed were those of the Spanish Civil War, which was still being fought at the time; Robert Capa (Lot 93), David "Chim" Seymour, Gerda Taro, Cas Oorthuys, and Carel Blazer all contributed photographs of this conflict.