Lot 281
  • 281

Henri Cartier-Bresson

Estimate
20,000 - 30,000 USD
Log in to view results
bidding is closed

Description

  • Henri Cartier-Bresson
  • THE VISIT OF CARDINAL PACELLI (LATER POPE PIUS XII), MONTMARTRE, PARIS
  • Gelatin silver print
ferrotyped, mounted, captioned and dated in ink, annotated 'HCB 1' in red crayon and with printing notations in pencil on the mount, credit in pencil, Magnum New York stamp with number in pencil, and annotated 'Decisive Moment' on the reverse, framed, Buhl Collection and Guggenheim Museum exhibition labels on the reverse, 1938, probably printed in the 1940s

Provenance

Laurence Miller Gallery, New York, 1995

Exhibited

New York, Guggenheim Museum, Speaking with Hands: Photographs from The Buhl Collection, June - September 2004, and 4 other international venues through 2007 (see Appendix 1)

Palm Beach Photographic Centre, In Good Hands: Selected Works from the Buhl Collection, March 2011

Middletown, Delaware, Warner Gallery at St. Andrew's School, In Good Hands: Selected Works from the Buhl Collection, October - November 2011

Literature

Jennifer Blessing, Speaking with Hands: Photographs from The Buhl Collection (Guggenheim Foundation, 2004), pp. 172 and 206 (this print)

The Decisive Moment: Photographs by Henri Cartier-Bresson (New York and Paris, 1952), pl. 30

Peter Galassi, Henri Cartier-Bresson: The Modern Century (The Museum of Modern Art, 2010), p. 256

Henri Cartier-Bresson: À Propos de Paris (Boston, 1994), p. 78

Henri Cartier Bresson: Photographer (Boston, 1979), p. 101

Condition

The caption in ink on the lower portion of the mount reads as follows: 'Montmartre, Paris - 1938. Cardinal Pacelli visited and throngs were outside of Sacre-Coeur to see him. Note: This is the only picture in the group not taken with a Leica. It was taken with a Gaumont 9x12 cam. on a glass plate.' This early ferrotyped print, on an unevenly-trimmed board mount that is beige on the front and green on the back, is in generally very good condition. When examined in raking light, the following are visible: a linear scuff near the left edge that does not break the emulsion and small pitting of the surface that is typical of ferrotyped photographs. When examined with a black 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.