Henri Cartier-Bresson: Photoportraits (1985)
Published by Thames & Hudson, this seminal collection gathers Cartier-Bresson’s most revealing portraits of artists, writers, intellectuals, and political figures from the 20th century. Unlike his spontaneous street photography, these images—many of them carefully composed sittings—retain his signature geometric precision and psychological depth. The book features iconic subjects like Pablo Picasso, Simone de Beauvoir, Truman Capote, and Martin Luther King Jr., often captured in unguarded moments that reveal their essence.
With an introduction by André Pieyre de Mandiargues, the volume highlights Cartier-Bresson’s ability to balance formal rigor with human insight, proving that his genius for the “decisive moment” extended far beyond candid street scenes. A timeless document of cultural history and photographic mastery.
