Sale 213 Lot 212

ROBERT DOISNEAU (AFTER)
French, 1912-1994
Prévert at a Café Table, Quai Saint-Bernard, Paris
Photo-lithograph
Photo-lithograph printed in 2009. Unframed. Image is mounted to a board.
Sight: 14 x 11 inches; Board: 18 x 14 inches
$80-120

ARTIST PROFILE: Robert Doisneau (1912–1994) was a seminal French photographer and a pioneer of humanist photojournalism, celebrated for his playful and ironic depictions of daily life in Paris. Though he began his career as a draughtsman and industrial photographer for Renault, his true passion lay in capturing the "unexpected marvels" of the street, often focusing on children at play and the mingling of social classes. During World War II, he utilized his technical skills as a lithographer to forge identification papers for the French Resistance before returning to a prolific freelance career that included work for Vogue and the Rapho agency. He is most internationally recognized for his 1950 photograph Le baiser de l'hôtel de ville (The Kiss), an iconic symbol of young love that later became the subject of a high-profile legal battle regarding its staged nature. Appointed a Chevalier of the Legion of Honour in 1984, Doisneau remained a humble "artisan" of the craft until his death, leaving behind a legacy of images that continue to serve as romantic, timeless icons of French culture.