Henri Cartier-Bresson, Another coronation
On the occasion of the coronation of Charles III, on May 6, the Henri Cartier-Bresson Foundation had the amusing idea of organizing an exhibition in the form of a nod to "the other coronation", that of his great -father George VI. On May 12, 1937 in London, it was one of the most publicized events of the interwar period. The future Queen Elizabeth II was present for her father's coronation: she was 11 years old.
Henri Cartier-Bresson, Another coronation
As for the young Henri Cartier-Bresson, he was 29 years old at the time. Employed for several months by the brand new communist newspaper Ce Soir, the photographer is in London to cover the festivities. Most other reporters seek to photograph the three key moments of the ceremony ritual: the passage of the carriage, the coronation itself, the appearance of the royal family on the balcony. Cartier-Bresson does just the opposite. Rather than the new monarch, he is interested in the people who watch him pass.
A crime of absolute lèse-majesté, he turned his back on the king and chose to immortalize the English proletariat. He took 255 photos (around forty of which are the subject of the exhibition), none of which are dedicated to the royal family: in a few rare cases, we see the royal carriage in the background. With humor and tenderness, Cartier-Bresson paints a portrait of England “from below”, with obvious playfulness.
Henri Cartier-Bresson, Another coronation
Some images are reminiscent of caricatures by Henry Daumier in the XNUMXth century. And we take pleasure in watching the Londoners equipped with mirrors or small cardboard periscopes which allow them to see the parade pass over the shoulders of their compatriots without disturbing them. As Boris Vian sang: “We’re not here to get yelled at, we came to see the parade!” »
Until September 3, 2023 (on the occasion of the coronation of Charles III).
▼ Henri Cartier-Bresson, the other crowning achievement
Henri Cartier-Bresson Foundation
79 Street Archives, 75003 Paris
Tuesday to Sunday from 10 a.m. to 19 p.m.
Closed on Mondays
Tel: +01 40 61 50 50
Henri Cartier Bresson Foundation
Text: Axel G.
15.05.23
