© Saul Leiter/ courtesy Howard Greenberg Gallery, New York From today until the 13th of April the Parisians are in for a treat. Saul Leiter, the much celebrated American photographer, has been invited to bring his beautiful, poetic New York style to the Fondation Henri Cartier-Bresson in Paris. Leiter and his Leica have seen a lot of action over the years. Giving up his studies in theology to paint, he soon became heavily involved in photography and has now been shooting the streets for sixty years. His early experiments with paint have had notable influence on his photographic style, giving forth to elegant, expressionism-inspired work, employing a soft and rich colour palette.
© Saul Leiter/ courtesy Howard Greenberg Gallery, New YorkWhen you think of New York it's Leiter's photographs your mind's eye sees which is precisely why his long overdue appearance in Paris is so intriguing. You would struggle to find two more contrasting cities but a Parisian artist born some sixty years before Leiter holds the key to why this exhibition will be such a success. You see, Paris had already encountered its Leiter in the form of one Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec. The city took Toulouse-Lautrec, the master of fin-de-siecle Paris, to their hearts, the popularity of his rich, atmospheric paintings and illustrations previously unheard of to many. With Parisians' track record for embracing such artistic documentary, Leiter's work could be regarded as a wonderful busman's holiday for the French capital, a familiar vacation to be enjoyed and remembered for many years to come.
Exhibition details at the Fondation Henri Cartier-Bresson.
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