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By favoring «readable» images, as Doisneau called them, capable of speaking
to everyone, they convey more than a photographic legacy, revealing its intimate
nuances of irony and delicacy over time.
«Given Moments» is a lesson in perspective and respect. Doisneau’s work teaches
us that each image is a pact, a relationship, a presence. There is no urgency in his
photographs. There is expectation, complicity, and listening.
His most precious legacy is to remind us that photography is not just a tool for
capturing, but a means of restoring the fleeting beauty of tiny moments.
In conclusion, it is the voice of the heart and the words of his daughter Francine
that best describe Doisneau’s art...
«Observe life with the patience of a fisherman. Always leave the door open
to the unexpected. Stop when asked to move where there is nothing to see.
Look with equal interest at the powerful and the poor.
Don’t turn away from misfortune, destitution, or the worst,
but maintain a supportive, complicit gaze.
Know how to read courage, dignity, and sometimes grace in everyone.
Accumulate moments of encounter, of sharing, provoking the smile,
sometimes the laughter that consoles for everything.»
Robert Doisneau: Military Vehicle, July 14, 1969
© Atelier Robert Doisneau