About this artwork
Henri Cartier-Bresson originated the phrase “the decisive moment”—the instant when everything in the camera’s frame aligns serendipitously to create the perfect composition. A founder of Magnum, a cooperative photographic agency formed in 1947 to give photographers creative control over their own images, Cartier-Bresson traveled the world as a photojournalist. The Art Institute acquired seven of his photographs in 1962, including this image of children playing beside the Seine, precisely framed and divided by gravel, pathways, and shrubs. Edwards later wrote in a letter: “There are many great photographs by Cartier-Bresson, but this always remains my favorite.”
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Status
- Currently Off View
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Department
- Photography and Media
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Artist
- Henri Cartier-Bresson
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Title
- Juvisy, France
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Place
- France (Artist's nationality:)
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Date
- Made 1955
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Medium
- Gelatin silver print
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Inscriptions
- Unmarked recto; inscribed verso, on mount, upper right, sideways, in graphite: "#42"; verso, on mount, upper center, in graphite: "5 [encircled]"
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Dimensions
- Image/paper: 19.7 × 29.5 cm (7 13/16 × 11 5/8 in.); Mount: 55.9 × 45.8 cm (22 1/16 × 18 1/16 in.)
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Credit Line
- Photography Gallery Purchased with funds provided by Fund
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Reference Number
- 1962.184
Extended information about this artwork
Object information is a work in progress and may be updated as new research findings emerge. To help improve this record, please email . Information about image downloads and licensing is available here.
