Brussels, Belgium
Henri Cartier-Bresson, Brussels, Belgium, 1932 (negative); 1970s (print), gelatin silver print, Bequest of Fae Heath Batten, © unknown, research required, 1997.58.31
This work is not currently on view.
- Title
Brussels, Belgium
- Artist
- Date
1932 (negative); 1970s (print)
- Medium
gelatin silver print
- Dimensions (H x W x D)
image: 9 1/2 in x 14 1/4 in; sheet: 12 in x 16 in
- Collection Area
Photography
- Category
Photographs
- Object Type
photograph
- Culture
French
- Credit Line
Bequest of Fae Heath Batten
- Accession Number
1997.58.31
- Copyright
© unknown, research required
- Terms
Henri Cartier-Bresson’s photographs are ruled by moments of spontaneity. His belief in photography’s power to reveal hidden truths in a “decisive moment” helped validate photojournalism as an art form and remains influential to this day. Brussels, Belgium, one of Cartier-Bresson’s earliest images, depicts a moment of curiosity and spectacle. At once charming and suspect, two men are caught in the act of peeking through a cloth barrier into a construction site. This fleeting scene—likely ignored by passersby—underscores Cartier-Bresson’s desire to call attention to seemingly insignificant moments that might otherwise pass into history unnoticed.
- Exhibitions
2011 One Woman’s Legacy: Selections from the Fae Heath Batten Photography Bequest Portland Art Museum
