3.6 Henri Cartier-Bresson

The French photographer Henri Cartier-Bresson (1908–2004) was a pioneer of modern street photography and is regarded as the “father of photojournalism.” Celebrated for the candid shots he took of everyday life in Paris, as well as for his photo-reporting around the world, he remains one of the most respected photographers of the twentieth century. His early life as an artist was not devoted to photography, however. When he was 19 years old, Cartier-Bresson began studying at the studio of Cubist painter and sculptor André Lhote. There, he learned to be a painter. He was educated in art theory and composition, and he discovered an interest in both modern and Renaissance art.

Meanwhile, throughout the 1920s, photography continued to develop as an art form, and in 1930, Cartier-Bresson became inspired by a photograph taken by Hungarian photographer Martin Munkacsi. In the photograph, titled “Three Boys at Lake Tanganyika,” three young boys play in Lake Tanganyika, an expansive, freshwater lake that touches four countries on the African continent: Tanzania, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Burundi, and Zambia. In the photo, the boys splash in the surf. The image features their silhouettes against the lake’s foaming waves. It is a joyful scene. Cartier-Bresson credited the photograph with leading him to turn away from painting in order to focus on photography. He said of the picture, “I suddenly understood that photography can fix eternity in a moment.”

Cartier-Bresson then acquired a German camera with a 50-millimeter (50-mm) lens—relatively small compared to the lenses used by professional photographers today. Despite having many opportunities to use a larger, more complex lens over the course of his career, Cartier-Bresson preferred his 50-mm lens for several reasons. The most important of these was that with this lens, he was able to shoot without being conspicuous, which he resisted for fear of being seen as showing off. It allowed him to capture moments he might not have captured otherwise, as people often did not notice him shooting.

He also had a strong preference for shooting in black and white, believing that the myriad printing options available when shooting with color distorted the image he was seeing with his eyes. For this reason, he only shot in color when obliged to. In general, he bemoaned photography’s trend toward focusing on ever-advancing processing techniques, believing that the fetishizing¹ of these techniques distracted people from what the art was truly about: seeing and capturing.

Images à la Sauvette (The Decisive Moment in the English edition), a book featuring over 100 of Cartier-Bresson’s photographs, was published in 1952 with a cover drawn specifically for the book by renowned French painter Henri Matisse. The book quickly became a classic in the canon of literature on photography. Alongside the portfolio of his images in the book, Cartier-Bresson authored a 4,500-word introduction on his photographic philosophy. This introduction to the book is often referenced today in treatises and essays on the art and history of the photograph—in particular, the portions in which he elaborates on the book’s title. To Cartier-Bresson, photography was about capturing in “a fraction of a second … the significance of an event.” In a 1971 interview, Cartier-Bresson described the art as an act of affirmation. He rejected many similar titles in favor of The Decisive Moment, including A pas de Loup, which means “tiptoeing,” a reference to how he, as a photographer, approached his subjects.

When Cartier-Bresson died in 2004, he had established a global reputation as one of the greatest photographers of all time. Yet, despite this fame, he was extremely timid and often shunned publicity. Thus, while he is revered for the photos he captured of faces around the world, he himself was rarely recognized.
fetishizing¹: being overly committed to or obsessed about something, often in an irrational way
Now answer the questions.

P1	Paragraph 1
S1	The French photographer Henri Cartier-Bresson (1908–2004) was a pioneer of modern street photography and is regarded as the “father of photojournalism.”
2	Celebrated for the candid shots he took of everyday life in Paris, as well as for his photo-reporting around the world, he remains one of the most respected photographers of the twentieth century.
3	His early life as an artist was not devoted to photography, however.
4	When he was 19 years old, Cartier-Bresson began studying at the studio of Cubist painter and sculptor André Lhote.
5	There, he learned to be a painter.
6	He was educated in art theory and composition, and he discovered an interest in both modern and Renaissance art.

The word “candid” in the passage is closest in meaning to
1. theatrical
2. natural
3. simulated
4. intense
Paragraph 1 implies that prior to the 1920s,
1. most artists in France studied painting rather than other media
2. paintings were less abstract than they generally are today
3. modern street photography was likely not a well-established art form
4. Henri Cartier-Bresson was already emerging as a talented photojournalist
All of the following are mentioned about Henri Cartier-Bresson in paragraph 1 EXCEPT:
1. He was a legendary photojournalist.
2. He was first trained as a painter.
3. He was interested in both Renaissance and modern art.
4. His portrait photographs were widely celebrated.

P2	Paragraph 2
S1	Meanwhile, throughout the 1920s, photography continued to develop as an art form, and in 1930, Cartier-Bresson became inspired by a photograph taken by Hungarian photographer Martin Munkacsi.
2	In the photograph, titled “Three Boys at Lake Tanganyika,” three young boys play in Lake Tanganyika, an expansive, freshwater lake that touches four countries on the African continent: Tanzania, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Burundi, and Zambia.
3	In the photo, the boys splash in the surf.
4	The image features their silhouettes against the lake’s foaming waves.
5	It is a joyful scene.
6	Cartier-Bresson credited the photograph with leading him to turn away from painting in order to focus on photography.
7	He said of the picture, “I suddenly understood that photography can fix eternity in a moment.”

The word “features” in the passage is closest in meaning to
1. highlights
2. hides
3. smears
4. shatters
According to paragraph 2, why did Cartier-Bresson switch from being a painter to being a photographer?
1. He wanted to represent human silhouettes against natural backgrounds.
2. He was inspired by the way a particular photograph captured a moment.
3. He sought to introduce the world to the daily lives of African people.
4. He hoped to establish an international career in Africa.
The author describes the image as “a joyful scene” in order to
1. offer a reason why Cartier-Bresson considered photography superior to painting
2. suggest that a less joyful photo would not have inspired Cartier-Bresson
3. convey the spirit of the photograph that inspired Cartier-Bresson
4. illustrate the highest purpose of photojournalism

P3	Paragraph 3
S1	Cartier-Bresson then acquired a German camera with a 50-millimeter (50-mm) lens—relatively small compared to the lenses used by professional photographers today.
2	Despite having many opportunities to use a larger, more complex lens over the course of his career, Cartier-Bresson preferred his 50-mm lens for several reasons.
3	The most important of these was that with this lens, he was able to shoot without being conspicuous, which he resisted for fear of being seen as showing off.
4	It allowed him to capture moments he might not have captured otherwise, as people often did not notice him shooting.

The word “it” in the passage refers to
1. fear
2. a large, complex lens
3. the reason for his preference
4. his 50-mm lens
According to paragraph 3, what was the primary reason that Cartier-Bresson preferred to shoot with a 50-mm lens rather than with a larger lens?
1. To take his photographs in an unobtrusive way
2. To capture moments that he could have captured otherwise, but not as easily
3. To show off without being embarrassed as he shot
4. To maintain opportunities to use both kinds of lenses during his career

P4	Paragraph 4
S1	He also had a strong preference for shooting in black and white, believing that the myriad printing options available when shooting with color distorted the image he was seeing with his eyes.
2	For this reason, he only shot in color when obliged to.
3	In general, he bemoaned photography’s trend toward focusing on ever-advancing processing techniques, believing that the fetishizing of these techniques distracted people from what the art was truly about: seeing and capturing.

The word “trend” in the passage is closest in meaning to

contribution
hostility
movement
responsibility

P5	Paragraph 5
S1	Images à la Sauvette (The Decisive Moment in the English edition), a book featuring over 100 of Cartier-Bresson’s photographs, was published in 1952 with a cover drawn specifically for the book by renowned French painter Henri Matisse.
2	The book quickly became a classic in the canon of literature on photography.
3	Alongside the portfolio of his images in the book, Cartier-Bresson authored a 4,500-word introduction on his photographic philosophy.
4	This introduction to the book is often referenced today in treatises and essays on the art and history of the photograph—in particular, the portions in which he elaborates on the book’s title.
5	To Cartier-Bresson, photography was about capturing in “a fraction of a second…the significance of an event.”
6	In a 1971 interview, Cartier-Bresson described the art as an act of affirmation.
7	He rejected many similar titles in favor of The Decisive Moment, including A pas de Loup, which means “tiptoeing,” a reference to how he, as a photographer, approached his subjects.

According to paragraph 5, which of the following statements about the book The Decisive Moment is true?
1. It contained both writing and photography by Cartier-Bresson.
2. It contained only Cartier-Bresson’s most significant photographs.
3. Its cover was a photograph of Henri Matisse.
4. It is seldom referenced today in essays on the art and history of photography.
The phrase “elaborates on” in the passage is closest in meaning to
1. overemphasizes
2. writes more about
3. understates
4. simplifies

P6	Paragraph 6
S1	When Cartier-Bresson died in 2004, he had established a global reputation as one of the greatest photographers of all time.
2	Yet, despite this fame, he was extremely timid and often shunned publicity.
3	Thus, while he is revered for the photos he captured of faces around the world, he himself was rarely recognized.

According to paragraph 6, what was the difference between Cartier-Bresson’s reputation and his physical image?

His physical appearance was much more commonly known than his work.
He shunned publicity but was extremely timid and shy.
He established a global reputation on the basis of a locally known image.
He was recognized far and wide by name but not so often by sight.

P5	Paragraph 5
S1	Images à la Sauvette (The Decisive Moment in the English edition), a book featuring over 100 of Cartier-Bresson’s photographs, was published in 1952 with a cover drawn specifically for the book by renowned French painter Henri Matisse.
2–4	A The book quickly became a classic in the canon of literature on photography. Alongside the portfolio of his images in the book, Cartier-Bresson authored a 4,500-word introduction on his photographic philosophy. This introduction to the book is often referenced today in treatises and essays on the art and history of the photograph—in particular, the portions in which he elaborates on the book’s title.
5–6	B To Cartier-Bresson, photography was about capturing in “a fraction of a second…the significance of an event.” In a 1971 interview, Cartier-Bresson described the art as an act of affirmation.
7	C He rejected many similar titles in favor of The Decisive Moment, including A pas de Loup, which means “tiptoeing,” a reference to how he, as a photographer, approached his subjects.
End	D

Look at the part of the passage that is displayed above. The letters [A], [B], [C], and [D] indicate where the following sentence could be added.
Ultimately, in the title he chose to describe the photograph being sought rather than the seeking photographer.

Where would the sentence best fit?
1. Choice A
2. Choice B
3. Choice C
4. Choice D
An introductory sentence for a brief summary of the passage is provided below. Complete the summary by selecting the THREE answer choices that express the most important ideas in the passage. Some sentences do not belong in the summary because they express ideas that are not presented in the passage or are minor ideas in the passage. This question is worth 2 points.
Henri Cartier-Bresson was a groundbreaking photographer of the twentieth century.
1. Cartier-Bresson placed greater value on the scene captured in a photograph than on the techniques used to process the photograph.
2. Cartier-Bresson started studying painting at the age of 19.
3. The reason Cartier-Bresson used a 50-mm lens remains a vexing mystery.
4. Cartier-Bresson’s influential book The Decisive Moment showcases the photographer’s work.
5. An alternative title for The Decisive Moment, one that was ultimately discarded, was Tiptoeing.
6. Inspired by a particular photograph of children playing in a lake, Cartier-Bresson decided to focus on photography over painting.