Willy Ronis by Willy Ronis: The Master Photographer's Unpublished Albums

Review Known for conveying the reality of post-war France through black and white images, Ronis is recognised as a key figure in 20th century photography. Flammarion's publication showcases personal and previously unseen works, each framed within their technical and historical context - offering an intimate and definitive compendium of the artist's oeuvre. --Aesthetica Magazine Product Description The definitive reference on master French photographer Willy Ronis, this volume reproduces personal and previously unpublished photo albums of his work that he curated and commentated throughout his career. A key figure in twentieth-century photography, Willy Ronis conveyed the poetic reality of postwar France in iconic black and white photographs. Influenced by Alfred Steiglitz and Ansel Adams, and amicable with his contemporary Magnum photographers, Ronis was the first French photographer to contribute to Life magazine. In the 1950s, MoMA curator Edward Steichen featured Ronis―along with Henri- Cartier Bresson, Robert Doisneau, and Brassaï― in the groundbreaking exhibitions The Family of Man and Five French Photographers . Throughout his life, this powerhouse of humanist photography kept meticulous record of his work, curating each era into albums, which are reproduced here for the first time. Timeless photographs of postwar France and its inhabitants are accompanied by the photographer’s original observations and comments, framing the images within their technical and historical context. Photography historian Matthieu Rivallin’s critical perspective adds nuance to the photographer’s notes, and the ensemble is a groundbreaking and definitive reference on the myriad aspects of the artists’ immense career and is an essential volume for all photography aficionados. From the Back Cover Willy Ronis (1910-2009) was one of the great photographers of the twentieth century. Selected by MoMA curator Edward Steichen for inclusion in two groundbreaking exhibitions, The Family of Man and Five French Photographers, his work depicts the poetic and poignant reality of life in postwar France. From carefree children to embracing lovers, and from sun-dappled Provence to the cobblestones of Paris, Ronis's humanist eye found joy in the simplest moments of everyday life. In his last decades, Ronis donated his complete works to the French State. To accompany this gift, he made a personal selection of what he considered to be his most noteworthy images―590 in total―mounting them in a series of albums and providing meticulous commentary on each photograph. Combining anecdotes with historical and technical context, they constitute an essential document on the photographer's long career. This exceptional volume reproduces, in full, the contents of Ronis's albums for the first time. Together they form a touching, intimate portrait of the life, career, and worldview of a singular artist in the history of photography. About the Author Major twentieth-century photographer Willy Ronis (1910-2009) contributed to Life, Vogue, and Time, and he received numerous international awards. Exhibition curator and author Matthieu Rivallin manages the twentieth-century-photography archives at the Mediathèque de l'Architecture et du Patrimoine in Paris.