Robert Doisneau

Robert Doisneau (; 14 April 1912 – 1 April 1994)

Doisneau is known for his 1950 image Le baiser de l'hôtel de ville (The Kiss by the City Hall), a photograph of a couple kissing on a busy Parisian street.

He was appointed a Chevalier (Knight) of the Legion of Honour in 1984 by then French president, François Mitterrand. At 13, he enrolled at the École Estienne. He graduated in 1929 with diplomas in engraving and lithography and took classes in figure drawing and still life.

When he was 16, he took up amateur photography, starting by photographing cobble-stones before progressing to children and then adults.

Photography in the 1930s In 1931, he left both the studio and advertising, taking a job as an assistant with the modernist photographer, André Vigneau.

He refused to photograph women whose heads had been shaved as punishment for sleeping with Germans. The identity of the couple was unknown until 1992.

Personal life Doisneau married Pierrette Chaumaison in 1934. The couple had two daughters, Annette (b. 1942) and Francine (b. 1947). From 1979 until his death, Annette worked as his assistant.

Doisneau's wife died in 1993 suffering from Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease. Doisneau died six months later in 1994, having had a triple heart bypass and was suffering from acute pancreatitis.

Doisneau was thought to be a shy and humble man, similar to his photography. He disagreed with his daughter, Francine, for charging an "indecent" daily fee of £2,000 for his work on a beer advertising campaign– he wanted only the rate of an "artisan photographer". The Maison de la photographie Robert Doisneau in Gentilly, Val-de-Marne, is a photography gallery named in his honour. Several Ecole Primaire (primary schools) are named after him. Ecole élémentaire Robert Doisneau is at Véretz (Indre-et-Loire). The Allée Robert Doisneau is named in his honour at the 'Parc de Billancourt' on the site of the old Renault factory at Boulogne-Billancourt. On 14 April 2012, Google celebrated his 100th birthday with a Google Doodle.

Publications Paris délivré par son peuple. (From the People of Paris). Paris: Braun: c.1944. La Banlieue de Paris. (The Suburbs of Paris). Text by Blaise Cendrars. Paris: Éditions Pierre Seghers, 1949. L'Enfant de Paris. (The Children of Paris). Text by Claude Roy. Neuchâtel: La Baconnière, 1951. Sortilèges de Paris. (The magic of Paris). Text by François Cali. Paris: Arthaud, 1952. Les Parisiens tels qu’ils sont. (The Parisians as they are.). Text by Robert Giraud and Michel Ragon. Paris: Delpire, 1954. Instantanés de Paris. (Snapshots of Paris). Preface by Blaise Cendrars. Paris: Arthaud, 1955. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, Compter en s’amusant. (Fun Counting). Lausanne: La Guilde du Livre, 1955. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5.. Text by Arthur Gregor. Philadelphia: Lippincott, 1956. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5.. Text by Elsie May Harris. London: Nelson, 1962. Pour que Paris soit. (This is Paris). Text by Elsa Triolet. Paris: Éditions Cercle d’Art, 1956. Gosses de Paris. (Children of Paris). Text by Jean Dongués. Paris: Éditions Jeheber, 1956. Robert Doisneau's Paris: 148 Photographs. Text by Blaise Cendrars. New York: Simon & Schuster, 1956. Paris Parade: 148 Photographs. London: Thames & Hudson, 1956. Le ballet contre l'opéra. (The Ballet and The Opera). Souillac, Lot: Mulhouse, 1956. A.B.C. du dépannage.. N.p.: Société des pétroles Shell Berre, 1958. Bistrots. (Bistros). Text by Robert Giraud. Le Point: Revue artistique et littéraire, 57. Souillac, Lot: Mulhouse, 1960. Arabie, carrefour des siècles: Album. (Arabia, crossroads of the centuries. An album). Text by Jacques Benoist-Méchin. Lausanne: La Guilde du livre, 1961. Nicolas Schöffer.. Text by Guy Habasque and Jacques Ménétrier. Neuchâtel: Éditions du Griffon, 1962. Cognac.. Text by Georges Vial. Cognac: Rémy Martin, 1960 (?). Cognac.. Text by Louise de Vilmorin. Paris: Rémy Martin, 1962. Marius, le forestier. (Marius, the forester. The working men). Text by Dominique Halévy. Les hommes travaillent. Paris: Éditions Fernand Nathan, 1964. Henri Cartier-Bresson, Robert Doisneau, André Vigneau: Trois photographes français. Arles: Musée Réattu, 1965. Catalogue of an exhibition at Musée Réattu of Doisneau, Henri Cartier-Bresson, and André Vigneau. Épouvantables Épouvantails. (Appalling Scarecrows). Paris: Éditions Hors Mesure, 1965. Le Royaume d’argot. (The Kingdom of slang). Text by Robert Giraud. Paris: Denoël, 1966. Catherine la danseuse. (Catherine. the dancer). Text by Michèle Manceaux. Paris: Éditions Fernand Nathan, 1966. L'École polytechnique. (The Polytechnic). Loos-lez-Lille: L. Danel, 1967. L'Oeil objectif. (The eye is a lens). Marseille: Musée Cantini, 1968. Catalogue of an exhibition at Musée Cantini by Doisneau, Denis Brihat, Lucien Clergue, and Jean-Pierre Sudre. Le Royaume secret du milieu. (The secret of the middle kingdom). Text by Robert Giraud. Paris: Éditions Planète, 1969. My Paris. Text by Chevalier, Maurice. Macmillan Publishers. New York. 1972 Le Paris de Robert Doisneau et Max-Pol Fouchet. Les éditeurs français réunis. France. 1974 L’Enfant à la Colombe. (The Child of the Dove). Text by Sage, James. Editions of the Oak. Paris. La Loire. Denoël. Paris. 1978 Le Mal de Paris. (The Evil of Paris). Text by Lépidis, Clément. Arthaud Publications. Paris. Trois Secondes d’éternité. Contrejour. Paris. 1979 Ballade pour Violoncelle et Chambre Noir. (A Song for a Cello and a dark room). co-author: Baquet, Maurice. Herscher Editions. Paris. 1980 Robert Doisneau. Text by Chevrier, Jean-François. Belfond Editions. Paris. 1981 Passages et Galeries du 19ème Siècle. (Passages and Galleries of the 19th Century). Text by Delvaille, Bernard. Éditions Balland. Paris. 1982 Doisneau. Photopoche, Centre national de la photographie. France. 1983 Paysages, Photographies. (Landscapes). (mission photography for DATAR) Éditions Hazan. Paris. 1985 Un Certain Robert Doisneau. Editions of the Oak. Paris. 1986 Pour saluer Cendrars. (In honour of Cendrars). Text by Camilly, J. Actes Sud. Arles, France. 1987 60 portraits d/artists. (60 portraits of artists). Text by Petit, Jean. Hans Grieshaber Publications. Zürich. 1988 Doisneau. Quotations by Doisneau collected by Maisonneuve Andre. Éditions Hazan. Paris, France. 1988 Bonjour Monsieur Le Corbusier. (Hello Mr Le Corbusier). Text by Petit, Jean. Hans Grieshaber Publications. Zürich. 1988 A l’imparfait de l’objectif. (The imperfect object). Belfond Editions. Paris. 1989 Les Doigts Pleins d’encre. (Fingers full of ink). Text by Cavanna. Hoëbeke Editions. Paris. 1989 La Science de Doisneau. (The Science of Robert Doisneau). Hoëbeke Editions. Paris. 1990 Les Auvergnats. (People of the Auvergne). With Dubois, Jaques. Nathan Images. Paris. 1990 Lettres à un Aveugle sur des Photographies de Robert Doisneau. (Letters to a blind man about the Photographs of Robert Doisneau). Text by Roumette, Sylvain. 1990 Le Tout sur le tout/Le Temps qu’il fait. (All about the weather). Paris. 1990 Le Vin des rues. Text by Robert Giraud. Paris: Denoël, 1990. Rue Jacques Prévert. Hoëbeke Editions. Paris, France. 1991 La Compagnie des Zincs. Text by Carradec, François Carradec. Seghers. Paris. 1991 Les Grandes Vacances. (Summer vacation). Text by Pennac, Daniel. Hoëbeke Editions. Paris. 1992 Mes gens de Plume. Writings by Doisneau collected by Dubois, Y. Éditions La Martinière. France. 1992 Les Enfants de Germinal. (The children of Germinal). Text by Cavanna. Hoëbeke Editions. Paris. 1993 (See also Germinal (month). the downfall) Doisneau 40/44. Text by Ory, Pascal. Hoëbeke Editions. Paris. 1994 La Vie de Famille. (Family life). Text by Ory, Pascal. Hoëbeke Editions. Paris. 1994 Robert Doisneau ou la Vie d’un photographie. (Robert Doisneau. the life of a photographer. Text by Hamilton, Peter. Hoëbeke Editions. Paris. 1995 Mes Parisiens. (My Parisians). Nathan Publications. Paris. 1997 Palm Springs 1960. Paris: Flammarion, 2010. . With a foreword by Jean-Paul Dubois. Robert Doisneau, comme un barbare. Text by André Pozner. Paris: Lux Editions, 2012. .

Exhibitions

1947 Salon de la Photo, Bibliothèque, Paris 1951 Exhibition with Brassaї, Willy Ronis, and Izis, Museum of Modern Art, New York 1960 Solo exhibition, Museum of Modern Art, Chicago. 1982 Solo Exhibition, Portraits, Foundation Nationale de la Photographie, Lyons; Solo exhibition, French Embassy, New York; Solo exhibition, Robert Doisneau, Photographe de banlieue, Town Hall, Gentilly 1982 Solo exhibition of 120 photographs, Palace of Fine Arts, Beijing, Exhibition of portraits, Tokyo; Solo exhibition, Robert Doisneau, Photographie du dimanche, Institut Lumière, Lyon 1986 Group Exhibition, De Vogue à femme, Rencontres Internationales de la Photographie d’Arles 1987 Solo Exhibition, St.-Denis, Musée de St.-Denis; Solo exhibition, The National Museum of Modern Art, Kyoto 1988 Solo Exhibition, A Homage to Robert Doisneau, Villa Medicis, Rome 1989 Solo Exhibition, Doisneau-Renault, Grande Halle de la Villette, Paris 1990 Solo Exhibition, La Science de Doisneau, Jardin des Plantes, Paris 1992 Solo Exhibition, Robert Doisneau: A Retrospective, Modern Art Oxford 1993 The Summerlee Heritage Trust, Coatbridge, Scotland; Royal Festival Hall, London; Manchester City Art Gallery; O Mes da Fotografie Festival, Convento do Beato, Lisbon, Portugal; Musée Carnavalet, Paris 1994 "Hommage à Robert Doisneau", festival des Rencontres d'Arles, France 1994 Musée d’Art Contemporain de Montréal, Canada; Galway Arts Centre, Ireland; Solo exhibition, A Homage to Robert Doisneau, Galerie du Château d’Eau à Toulouse; Solo exhibition, Doisneau 40/44, Centre d’Histoire de la Résistance et de la Déportation de Lyon, Lyon, France; Solo exhibition, Robert Doisneau ou la désobéissance, Ecomusée de Fresnais 1995 Museum of Modern Art, Oxford, England; Aberdeen Art Gallery, Scotland; The Mead Gallery, Warwick Arts Centre, Coventry 1996 Solo Exhibition, Montpellier Photo-Visions, Galerie Municipale de la Photographie; Isetan Museum of Art, Tokyo; Daimaru Museum, Osaka, Japan 2000 Exhibition, Gravités, Paris 2000 Exhibition, Galerie Claude Bernard, Paris 2002 Exhibition, Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes, Santiago, Chile 2003 Exhibition, Budapest, Hungary; Exhibition, Bucarest, Romania 2003 Exhibition, Galerie Claude Bernard, Paris 2005 Solo Exhibition, Robert Doisneau, Galerie Claude Bernard, Paris 2010 Solo Exhibitions, Robert Doisneau, Du metier a l'oeuvre, Fondation Henri Cartier-Bresson, 2, Impasse Lebouis, 75014 Paris 2010 Group Exhibition, Discoveries, Robert Doisneau, Bruce Silverstein Gallery, New York 2010 Solo Exhibition, Robert Doisneau, the fisherman of images, the Space for Art of Caja Madrid Zaragoza, Aranjuez, Madrid 2011 Group exhibition: Night, Robert Doisneau Bruce Silverstein Gallery, New York 2014 exhibition : The moments that he loved, sangsangmadang, Seoul 2015 exhibition : Robert Doisneau, a photographer at the museum, Grande Galerie de l'Évolution, Paris

Films about Doisneau A short film, Le Paris de Robert Doisneau, was made in 1973.

In 1992 the French actress and producer Sabine Azéma made the film Bonjour Monsieur Doisneau.