An appropriately monumental work to accompany MoMA’s current Cartier-Bresson exhibition, The Modern Century is a visual travelogue through the photographer’s long career.
From the 1930s, when Cartier-Bresson helped pioneer street photography through to the raw photojournalism of the post-war era and essays on the emerging cultural and political landscape, The Modern Century is a rich document for devotees of stark, emotive imagery.
The book contains some 300 images from the MoMA exhibition, as well as exhaustive essays on Cartier-Bresson’s travels (complete with annotated maps), his publications and contributions, as well as biographical details.
HCB’s energy and exceptional timing are unrivalled in the history of photography. His involvement with the creation of Magnum, along with Robert Capa and Bill Vandivert, was to shape the way the media consumed, created and sought out visual imagery.
’Henri Cartier-Bresson: The Modern Century’. Santa Clara, Mexico. 1934. Courtesy of Henri Cartier-Bresson/ Magnum Photos.
