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Exhibition

Brassaï

November 17, 2018–February 18, 2019
Floor 3

Best known for his provocative and enigmatic images of Parisian life between the two world wars, the photographer Brassaï (born Gyula Halász) is one of the most prominent figures of twentieth-century photography. Called “the eye of Paris” by his friend Henry Miller, Brassaï’s work both celebrates and reveals the complexities and hidden sides of French society and culture.

This thematic survey of his career focuses on his celebrated depictions of 1930s Paris, where he photographed lovers, prostitutes, workers, and gatherings in cafés, bars, and dance halls with an intimate candor that’s still striking today. The exhibition also includes powerful portraits of his artist friends—Pablo Picasso, Salvador Dalí, and Henri Matisse, among others—and the city’s creative avant-garde. Brassaï brings together outstanding prints of the artist’s best work along with many never-before-seen photographs.

Exhibition Preview

Brassai 05
Brassai 02
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Brassai 01
Brassai 07
Brassai 09
Brassai 10

Brassaï, Avenue de l’Observatoire in the Fog, ca. 1937; © Estate Brassaï Succession, Paris

Brassaï, On the boulevard Saint-Jacques, 1930–32; © Estate Brassaï Succession, Paris

Brassaï, Paris, 1930–33; © Estate Brassaï Succession, Paris

Brassaï, Bal des Quatre-Saisons, rue de Lappe, ca. 1932; © Estate Brassaï Succession, Paris

Brassaï, Billiard Player, boulevard Rochechouart, 1932–33; © Estate Brassaï Succession, Paris

Brassaï, Kiki de Montparnasse and her Friends, Thérèse Treize and Lily, ca. 1932; © Estate Brassaï Succession, Paris

Brassaï, Salvador Dalí and Gala, Villa Seurat, Paris, 1932–33, printed posthumously; © Estate Brassaï Succession, Paris

Exhibition Catalogue

This sumptuous Brassaï overview gathers outstanding prints of his finest and most popular photographs, drawing on the Estate Brassaï in Paris and the collections of leading museums in France and the United States.
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Brassaï is organized by Fundación MAPFRE in collaboration with the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art.

Fundación MAPFRE red logo

Major support for Brassaï is provided by The Bernard Osher Foundation.

The Bernard Osher Foundation

Generous support is provided by Diana and Steve Strandberg.

Header image: Brassaï, Avenue de l’Observatoire in the Fog, ca. 1937; © Estate Brassaï Succession, Paris