Three years after the success of Henri Cartier-Bresson’s “The Decisive Moment”, “The Europeans” was published in 1955. Cartier-Bresson traveled around Europe between 1950 and 1955—often working on assignments for publications such as Harper’s Bazaar, Life, or Paris Match—and curated 114 of these images.
His photos document postwar Europe in the midst of reconstruction. He traveled to 10 countries in total and gives us a fascinating glimpse of everyday life, often with a subtle sense of humor. Sitting in our favorite comfy chair with a cup of tea, slowly looking through a book like this, studying the images, and looking at how each photo was composed—and thinking about what Cartier-Bresson was seeing—is the best way to improve our photography and develop our visual literacy.
Cartier-Bresson wrote an introduction, and in it, he says: “In photography, the creative act lasts but a brief moment, a lightning instant of give-and-take, just long enough for you to level the camera and to trap the fleeting prey in your little box. No tricks, no afterthoughts: the live moment. One makes a painting, whereas one takes a picture.” The pictures he took are often incredibly well thought out, with clever juxtapositions and ideas certainly worthy of study.
This book, unlike the growing popularity of travel books and guides at the time, does not capture grand views, landmarks, and photos that make you want to visit that place. It sometimes flirts with being a travel book but focuses on documenting mundane daily life—ordinary people doing ordinary things. There’s a lesson to be learned by studying this book, particularly if travel and street photography is of interest.
After 70 years, Fondation Henri Cartier-Bresson has reissued “The Europeans” in both French and English versions. The 156-page book is 170 x 230 mm, featuring a cover designed by Joan Miró. It offers a wonderful opportunity to rediscover some of Cartier-Bresson’s major work.
Retailing at €42, “The Europeans” is available from Fondation Henri Cartier-Bresson.