Photography Exhibition Galerie Claude Bernard – Robert Doisneau

Galerie Claude Bernard is pleased to present a selection of some thirty vintage silver prints by the celebrated photographer Robert Doisneau (1912-1994). This selection, while not exhaustive, is nonetheless representative of several aspects of his work: views of old Paris, street scenes, portraits of famous people such as Jacques Tati, and retouched photos such as a view of the twisted Eiffel Tower.

Born in 1912 in Gentilly, in the southern suburbs of Paris, Robert Doisneau initially turned to the book trade. He graduated as an engraver-lithographer from the École Estienne in Paris. In 1929, he took his first photographs with a camera borrowed from his half-brother Lucien.

At the same time, he joined Léon Ullman’s advertising studio as a letter draughtsman, before quickly becoming an assistant in the photographic laboratory. In 1931, he became assistant to the sculptor, painter and photographer André Vigneau. The following year, thanks to André Vigneau, he published his first photographic report in the magazine Excelsior, on the subject of the Saint-Ouen flea market. He then worked briefly as a photographer in the advertising department of Usines Renault. His career really took off after the war, when he began to publish regularly in the press. In 1946 he joined the Rapho agency, and his reports appeared in magazines such as Life, Point de Vue, Regards, Picture Post, Paris Match and Réalités.

He received numerous awards, including the Kodak prize in 1947 and the Niépce prize in 1956. His photographs were exhibited at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Chicago in 1954 and he was guest of honour at the Rencontres d’Arles in 1975.

From 15 May to 12 July, the Galerie Claude Bernard will be exhibiting some thirty vintage silver prints, all signed by Robert Doisneau, and some printed by himself. These signed prints are the ones that Doisneau himself intended for collectors. The collection includes photographs that are emblematic of the artist and familiar to all, as well as less familiar images. They cover a period from 1934 to 1978, and feature a wide range of themes: views of old Paris such as Monsieur Barré’s Manège in the 14th arrondissement, street scenes such as the stolen kiss known as Baiser Blotto, or scenes of children playing, intimate scenes captured in the moment, or even The Twisted Eiffel Tower or Jacques Tati’s Le vélo.

With this exhibition, organised with the help of Robert Doisneau’s two daughters, Annette Doisneau and Francine Deroudille, who keep the Atelier Doisneau alive, Galerie Claude Bernard is reviving a long tradition of promoting humanist photography. Following the exhibitions Photographies in 2001, Inauguration in 2003 and Photographies, Palm Springs 1960 in 2005, this is the fourth time that the work of the famous photographer has been presented in this space. This event is part of the cultural calendar in Paris, with the Musée Maillol presenting a major retrospective of his work from 17 April to 12 October 2025.