Brassai: Paris

Harlots, hoodlums, and heathens in Brassa¯'s Paris   "Brassa¯ is a living eye," wrote Henry Miller of the Hungarian€“born artist who adopted Paris after World War I and became one of its most celebrated photographers. Originally a painter before he moved on to writing, sculpture, cinema and, most famously, photography, Brassa¯ (1899-1984) was a member of Paris€s cultural elite, counting Miller, Picasso, Sartre, Camus, and Cocteau, among his friends. Camera in hand, he scoured the streets and bars of Paris, unabashedly capturing the city€s inhabitants in their natural habitats. Prostitutes, hoodlums, and other €˜marginal€ characters were the most famous heroes of Brassa¯€s moody, gritty photographs taken often by night. Including an extensive selection of Brassa¯€s finest photographs and an essay describing his life and work, this book explores the world of Brassa¯ in thematic chapters: Minotaure magazine, Paris at Night, Secret Paris, Day Visions, Artists of My Life, and Graffiti and Transmutations.