This December, Sotheby’s New York presents The World of Henri Cartier-Bresson: Photographs from the Personal Collection of Peter Fetterman. Highlighting six decades of Henri Cartier-Bresson’s impressive oeuvre, the 95 photographs featured in this auction include beloved images such as Behind the Gare Saint Lazare, Paris; Hyères, France; and Siphnos, Greece, among many others. Cartier-Bresson’s passion for photography was cemented in 1932 when he acquired a 35mm Leica, the handheld camera that revolutionized twentieth-century photography and freed him to photograph spontaneously anytime, anywhere. This manner of photographing ‘on the sly’ – his first book was called Images à la Sauvette (1952), which roughly translates to ‘images on the sly’ – would become his trademark. For the rest of his illustrious career Cartier-Bresson traveled the world, making images that would leave an indelible mark on the history of photography.
Peter Fetterman writes:
Dear Friends,
Henri Cartier-Bresson has always been my guiding light and constant inspiration since I first bought a copy of his seminal book, “The Decisive Moment,” more than 50 years ago. I was so fortunate to have collaborated with him and his late amazing wife, Martine Franck. That relationship has been one of the most profound in my life.
His work is without parallel in the history of photography. Every image I have been fortunate to have collected will forever be part of me, deeply ingrained in my psyche. As one grows older, I feel a responsibility to him and Martine to pass on to a new generation of collectors the immense pleasure and knowledge and self development these images have given me in the hope that this new generation will too benefit in the same way from living with his powerful and beautiful work.
If you happen to find yourselves in New York, please visit the exhibition and this special event.
Peter Fetterman
December 2021, Santa Monica, CA.
The auction catalogue is now live (with bidding open from December 9 to the 16) https://www.sothebys.com/en/buy/auction/2021/the-world-of-henri-cartier-bresson-photographs-from-the-personal-collection-of-peter-fetterman
For questions or inquiries, please contact [email protected]
And at Sotheby’s [email protected]
There is a full exhibition of all the lots on offer at Sotheby’s York Avenue galleries from December 11th to the 15th.
The World of Henri Cartier-Bresson : Photographs from the Personal Collection of Peter Fetterman
Bidding open from December 9 to the 16, 2021
Sotheby’s
1334 York Avenue
New York
