Robert Doisneau (Gentilly, 1912 - Montrouge, 1994) is regarded as one of the founding fathers of French humanist photography and street photojournalism. Through his lens he was able to grasp the daily life of the men and women who populate Paris and its suburbs, telling the city and its inhabitants with an ironic and light touch but also with deep humanity and participation.
The volume collects 130 black and white images from the Atelier Robert Doisneau in Montrouge, which houses the photographic archive.
Whether they are photographs made on commission or the result of his free wandering around Paris, the artist's personal style is outlined through these shots, combining charm and imagination, but also a freedom of expression not far from surrealism. These are images that capture moments of daily happiness among ordinary people - such as the famous Le Baiser de l'Hôtel de Ville, or "The kiss" - and in which are mixed tenderness, sometimes veiled by melancholy, but also notes of humor, always present in his work.

Rovigo, Palazzo Roverella, September 2021 - January 2022

Contents

Portrait of a photographer: selected works
Gabriel Bauret

Childhood
1934 - 1956

The Occupation and the Liberation
1940 - 1944

The world of work
1935 - 1950

Paris and its suburbs
1945 - 1953

The spectacle of the street
1945 - 1964

Interior scenes
1943 - 1970

A certain idea of happiness
1945 - 1956

The time of hobbies and holidays
1949 - 1961

Portraits
1942 - 1961

Fashion and high society
1950 - 1952

Robert Doisneau