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Paris, its suburbs, a stolen kiss, a waltzing kiss, a silent bistro, a leap… with
«Given Moments,»the major retrospective dedicated to Robert Doisneau immerses
us in a visual narrative spanning sixty years of history and humanity.
The exhibition at the Musée Maillol, built around more than 400 photographs
taken directly from the Atelier’s archives, stands out as a true manifesto of poetic
realism, the signature of the French master. Carefully selected from more than
450,000 negatives by the artist’s two daughters, Annette and Francine, and the
exhibition curators Isabelle Benoit and Benoît Remiche, the images on display not
only celebrate Doisneau’s keen eye and empathy, but also reveal the formal and
narrative construction of each photograph. «A good photograph,» he said, «must
contain a letter of the alphabet or a sign as obvious as an arrow.»
This visual rigor never forgoes tenderness or humor, often suggested by the witty
titles or captions that accompany his works.
The beating heart of Doisneau’s work, Paris is not a simple urban setting but a li-
ving organism. His images reveal the city in its most vibrant everyday life. The gaze
falls on processions of children, distracted passersby, lovers embracing on the edge
of a sidewalk. But there is also the suburbs, a periphery that is human before it is
urban, a territory of resilient memory, of dignified poverty, of silent poetry beyond
the noise of everyday life.
The exhibition is organized around ten themes, each identified by a sober title,
almost like an archive label. Yet, behind each title hides an emotional microcosm.
Robert Doisneau: The Leap, 1936
© Atelier Robert Doisneau