NEW YORK, NY.- André Kertész: Paris, Autumn 1963 is a rare body of work featuring a collection of previously unpublished photographs that capture the ephemeral beauty of Paris in 1963. André Kertész, a master photographer of the 20th century, was a seminal figure in photographic composition and photojournalism. The first fine arts photographer to have a major solo exhibition, Kertész was often depicted as an unknown soldier, remaining behind-the-scenes for most of his career. Originally from Hungary, he moved away from the avant-garde artist community in Paris to New York during World War II. Returning to La Ville Lumière thirty years later, his trip was without the usual constraints of a commission or tight schedule, an essential aspect of the visit. During a brief two-month period, Kertész took more than 1,500 negatives and 313 color slides that reveal the citys true essencefrom Montmartre to the banks of the Seine to its gardens, parks and cafés, and the quintessential Parisians who occupy them daily.
These fifty-nine carefully selected photographs were bound in book form, only to be rediscovered in his archives twenty-five years after his death. Reproduced here as he originally intended, and completed with archival documents and a critical essay, ANDRÉ KERTESZ: PARIS, AUTUMN 1963 captures the artists intimate and nostalgic vision, giving the reader an opportunity to revisit Paris and share Kertészs lifelong love of the city.
Born in Budapest, André Kertész, was a photographer known for his groundbreaking contributions to photographic composition and the photo essay. He moved to the United States in 1936 and lived there up until his death in 1985. His photographs were published in Life, Harpers Bazaar, Town & Country, House & Garden, Vu, and Camera and have been featured in numerous international exhibitions. He received a number of awards including a Guggenheim Fellowship and the International Center of Photographys first annual Master of Photography award. He published several books that feature his photographs including André Kertész: Sixty Years of Photography (Grossman, 1972) and Jaime Paris: Photographs Since the Twenties (Grossman, 1974). Mattieu Rivallin is a member of the collections staff at Médiathèque de l'architecture et du Patrimoine, Paris.