Cartier-Bresson’s Legacy Today
Living until aged 95, Cartier-Bresson enjoyed a full life, and his legacy still continues. Modern photojournalism owes much to the photographer, not only due to the creation of Magnum Photos, but for elevating the field to an artistic level that was previously unknown.
His philosophies about candid photography bleed into many areas of the contemporary photography. But street photography, in particular, owes much of its foundations to the French master. Modern street photographers like Eric Kim and Rui Palha carry forward the torch, employing his principles to continue capturing the world as we know it.
Prior to his passing, Cartier-Bresson founded, together with his wife and daughter, the Henri Cartier-Bresson Foundation. Cited as an institution of national interest by the French state, the foundation carries on his legacy by running his vast archives and exhibiting highlights of his work. With exhibitions at the MoMA New York, Centre Pompidou in Paris, and the Art Institute of Chicago, among other institutions, in the years following his death, his influence shows no signs of slowing.
Want to learn more about Henri Cartier-Bresson’s famous photographs? We recommend Henri Cartier-Bresson: The Modern Century by Peter Galassi
Related Articles:
35 Quotes From Master Photographers to Inspire You to Take Great Pictures
10 Street Photographers Who Are Immortalizing Our Modern World
Honoring 92-Year-Old Marc Riboud’s Extraordinary Documentary Photos