'Henri Cartier-Bresson. In America'

An unmissable photography exhibition with 101 black and white shots of the great artist

From 15 June 2018 to 11 November 2018

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From June 15th to November 11th 2018 Lucca will host the Henri Cartier Bresson exhibition at the LU.C.C.A (Lucca Center for Contemporary Art). The photos that the great artist took in the United States from the thirties to the sixties on the occasion of his first visit to the country are the focus of this unmissable photography exhibition in Lucca. It is thanks to masters of the likes of Henri Cartier Bresson that photography (rightly) became a form of art, able to capture in a suggestive and engaging way historical moments or even the simplest moments of everyday life. Bresson was born with this ability to 'steal images' thanks to which he was able to give us fully subjective testimonies of moments that have become historical and almost mythological. In Lucca, among the current exhibitions, this one will undoubtedly attract a large audience that will not only be limited only to photography or contemporary art enthusiasts. Bresson's photography language makes it an exhibition open to everyone!

Cartier Bresson was born in 1908 in Chanteloup, Seine-et-Marne from a bourgeois family. From a very young age he exhibited a great talent for art, especially for painting. Yet for him that means of expression seemed too restrictive, because it didn’t allow him to 'seize the moment' the way he wanted to. He would succeed in pursuing this goal only after discovering the Leica, his inseparable camera. A truly crucial meeting that took place in 1932. It dates back to the year after his first report trip in Spain, and in 1935 it was America’s turn. Among the photos of Cartier Bresson on exhibition in Lucca you can also find some of the shots he took on that first trip to the United States. As highlighted by Maurizio Vanni, curator of the exhibition, his past paintings will also contribute to making his photos unique – stealing ‘perspective, framing and chiaroscuro from his previous experiences, giving life to a unique style'. The career of Henri Cartier Bresson is full of incredible victories, awards and prizes of all kinds, so many that it would be hard to list them all. After all, his photos speak for themselves! It is undoubtedly worth mentioning that in 1947, with Robert Capa, George Rodger, David 'Chim' Seymour and William Vandivert, he founded the Magnum Photos, today still one of the most important photography agencies in the world. Henri Cartier Bresson died in 2004 at the age of 94 leaving us, thanks to the Foundation Henri Cartier-Bresson created with his wife and daughter, a precious legacy of truly extraordinary images.

The exhibition itinerary of one of the most interesting Lucca exhibitions will display 101 photographs by Henri Cartier Bresson taken during his travels in America between the 30s and 60s. As Maurizio Vanni highlighted, these works encapsulate the consumerism of American society – a goal that the photographer achieves by juxtaposing this fugacious and superficial social model with a decidedly more rough, tragic and desperate reality. As the American playwright Arthur Miller points out, America back then was extravagant, and it coincided precisely with the era of dominance of images. Despite all this, as the black and white shots by Henri Cartier Bresson at the Lucca exhibition, the photographer is able to go beyond appearances to capture the true essence of American society at the time. In his images the landscape or the objects are only the backdrop to the dominant human element. The true value of the photos you will see in Lucca at this photography exhibition, dedicated to one of the greatest photographers of the twentieth century, lies in the immortalized people and their gestures. Every shot tells a story, like the one of the ladies with flowered hats and their noses pointed upwards crossing a road surrounded by high skyscrapers, or the other group of women gathered in front of the counter of a department store while they admire a saleswoman promoting a precious white bag. Just imagine how many other images there are to admire, waiting to be discovered out of the entire Cartier Bresson photo exhibition... A whopping 101 images! So take all the time you need to admire them one by one.

The Henri Cartier Bresson Exhibition takes place at the Lucca Contemporary Art Museum, set up in Palazzo Boccella, a historic building located a few steps from the splendid Piazza Anfiteatro. An excellent idea to enrich your walk around the historic center of the lovely Tuscan town with one of the most interesting photography exhibitions in Tuscany. The exhibition is open from 10 am to 7 pm from Tuesday to Sunday and if you want to combine a tasty break, bear in mind that there is a great restaurant inside the museum!

We’re here in Lucca waiting for you from June 16th to November 11th for the unmissable Italy photography exhibition in Lucca on Henri Cartier Bresson: choose the period that best suits you and plan a few days in Tuscany. Lucca, with its ancient walls, the many churches and the charming Piazza Anfiteatro is always a wonderful place to explore. You could also take advantage of it to move towards the Tuscan capital which is only about seventy kilometers away, easily reachable both by car and by train. Too complicated to visit this wonderful city? So many things to see and you don’t know where to start? We at toscanainside.com always think of everything: choose one of our tours in Florence and you're done! Take a look and book the one that you prefer, there’s something for all tastes!

Date: from 15^th June to 11^th November 2018

Location: Lucca Center of Contemporary Art - Via della Fratta, 36 - Lucca

Visiting hours: from 10.00 to 19.00 from Tuesday to Sunday (Closed on Mondays)