Genius - No5

Of all France’s many great artists of the twentieth century, few people’s work appear to be as frequently visible through postcards and posters as that of the photographer Robert Doisneau. The evident commercial appeal of his work does not detract from its quality though. Along with the likes of Willy Ronis and Edouard Boubat, his perfect captured representations of the varied minutiae of life in Paris in the 1940’s and 1950’s evoke a sense of warmth at an apparent simplicity of life – especially amongst generations of children making their own entertainment - as well as displaying the broad, varied character and elegance of the city’s streets and buildings. Particularly depressing are suggestions that this style of photography is being made increasingly more difficult by the largely hysterical and unfounded concerns surrounding the principle of taking photos of the young. From a personal point of view, Doisneau’s success however lies in the fact that it is his work that is brought instantly to my mind whenever there is a mention of mid twentieth century life in Paris.

Le Manege de Monsieur Barre (1955)



La Baguette Parisienne (1953)



L'Enfer (1952)



Rue Marcellin Berthelot, Choisy le Roi (1945)



Bolides (1956)