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Two Apaches in Paris

A work made of gelatin silver print.

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  • A work made of gelatin silver print.

Date:

c. 1932

Artist:

Brassaï (Gyula Halász)
French, born Hungary (now Romania), 1899–1984

About this artwork

A Hungarian transplant in Paris, Brassai supported himself with work for the picture magazines of the French capital. His celebrated images of the city after dark, published in 1932 as Paris de nuit (Paris by Night), changed both the way people saw Paris and the way other photographers took pictures. Inspired by his late-night wanderings, the book shows gardens and bridges, lovers and prostitutes, the lights of bars and the backstage areas of dance halls. Although this image of two thugs from Big Albert’s gang was not included in the book, it is typical of that work, with strong contrasts of dark and light and a voyeuristic aura of menace. The black area, which reads as a wall, is actually the edge of the photograph’s frame; Brassai printed half of the image, leaving a panel of black, as if in anticipation of its dramatic impact on the page.

Status

Currently Off View

Department

Photography and Media

Artist

Brassaï, (Gyula Halász)

Title

Two Apaches in Paris

Place

France (Artist's nationality:)

Date  Dates are not always precisely known, but the Art Institute strives to present this information as consistently and legibly as possible. Dates may be represented as a range that spans decades, centuries, dynasties, or periods and may include qualifiers such as c. (circa) or BCE.

Made 1927–1937

Medium

Gelatin silver print

Inscriptions

Unmarked recto; inscribed verso, on mount, upper left, in black ink: "TWO APACHES IN PARIS / BRASSAI"; verso, on mount, lower center, upside-down, in graphite: "3"

Dimensions

Image/paper/mount: 49.4 × 40.5 cm (19 1/2 × 16 in.)

Credit Line

Peabody Fund

Reference Number

1955.23

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.

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