Brassai
Brassaï: The Man Behind the Lens
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Full Name and Common Aliases
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Gyula Halász was born on September 9, 1899, in Brassó (now Brașov), Austria-Hungary. He is commonly known as Brassaï, a name he adopted to emphasize his connection to the French literary world.
Birth and Death Dates
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Born: September 9, 1899, Brassó (Brașov), Austria-Hungary
Died: August 8, 1984, Côte d'Azur, France
Nationality and Profession(s)
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Brassaï was a Hungarian-born French artist and photographer. He is best known for his work as a photographer of the human figure in Paris during the 1930s.
Early Life and Background
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As a young man, Brassaï studied art at the Academy of Fine Arts in Budapest, Hungary. However, he soon moved to Vienna and later to Berlin to pursue a career in art. In 1924, he settled in Paris, where he became involved with the city's vibrant artistic community.
Major Accomplishments
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Brassaï's photographs of the human figure are considered some of the most iconic representations of modernity and urban life. He is also known for his portraits of famous writers and artists, including Pablo Picasso, Henri Matisse, and Jean Cocteau. Brassaï's work was heavily influenced by the Surrealist movement.
Notable Works or Actions
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Some notable works by Brassaï include:
"The Secret Paris" (Paris de Nuit): A collection of photographs showcasing the city's nocturnal beauty
"Volas et Portraits": A series of portraits of famous writers and artists
Impact and Legacy
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Brassaï's work has had a lasting impact on modern photography. His innovative use of lighting and composition continues to inspire photographers today. He is also remembered for his ability to capture the essence of Paris during its golden age.
Why They Are Widely Quoted or Remembered
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Brassaï was widely quoted and remembered due to his insightful comments on art, photography, and life in general. His quotes offer a glimpse into the artistic world of 20th-century Paris and continue to inspire artists and photographers today.
Quotes by Brassai
It is not sociologists who provide insights but photographers of our sort who are observers at the very center of their times. I have always felt strongly that this was the photographer’s true vocation.
If you take your inspiration from nature, you don’t invent anything, because what you want to do is to interpret something. But still, everything passes throught your imagination. What you produce at the end is very different from the reality you started with.
In the absence of a subject with which you are passionately involved, and without the excitement that drives you to grasp it and exhaust it, you may take some beautiful pictures, but not a photographic oeuvre.
Photography in our time leaves us with a grave responsibility. While we are playing in our studios with broken flowerpots, oranges, nude studies and still lifes, one day we know that we will be brought to account: life is passing before our eyes without our ever having seen a thing.
Photography is the very conscience of painting. It constantly reminds the later of what it must not do.
The surrealism of my pictures was nothing but the real made eerie by vision. I was trying to express reality, for there is nothing more surrealist.
A poor photographer meets chance one out of a hundred times and a good photographer meets chance all the time.
