Known as the ‘fisherman of images’, as an artist who exquisitely captures the small dramas of everyday life, Robert Doisneau (1912-1994) can be said to be one of France’s most popular photographers. Whether it is lovers in Paris, the rich expressions on children’s’ faces, or his witful and satirical street-scenes – Robert Doisneau’s photographs bespeak of his intense interest in and love of humanity, which they continue to be appreciate for all around the world. An equally essential aspect of his photographic practice and career are his portraits. A manifestation of his keen insight and observational skills, these portraits also give testimony to the pleasure Doisneau took in looking. With a focus on Doisneau’s portraits of his contemporaries, this exhibition will present about 140 carefully selected masterpieces in three parts, some of which will be exhibited for the first time in Japan. Together they will not only enhance our understanding of the ‘pleasures of looking’ – one of the essences of photography – but will also tell us something about the pleasures of artistic creation.

Part 1: Doisneau’s portrait of a period
This exhibition will feature around 70 portraits of not only artists and sculptors, but also authors, intellectuals, dancers, art critics, and designers who have been actively participating in Paris’ art scene. These portraits provide us with an opportunity to explore the cultural atmosphere of Doisneau’s Paris while at the same time illuminating the essence of his photographic practice.

Part 2: Doisneau’s Masterpieces
The over 450.000 images Doisneau has produced throughout his life are currently managed by the Atelier Robert Doisneau, an institution founded by his family. They have carefully selected 30 representative masterpieces for this exhibition, which will serve as a referential frame for the understanding and localization of Doisenau’s portrait photography within the greater context of his photographic practice.

Part 3: An homage to Giono
For Doisneau, who spent his childhood days in the gray and dull suburbs of Paris, the human drama that novelist Jean Giono depicts in his fiction against the background of the Provence’s nature has always been an object of admiration. His reportage series ‘La Transhumance’, for which he followed a shepherd on his journey through the Provence, thus could be seen as an homage to Giono, the story it tells, as a ‘portrait’ of Giono. Bernard Buffet, too, was deeply inspired by Giono’s works such as the 1939 novel Recherche de la pureté (Search for Purity), which led him to paint a portrait of the author. As a ‘portrait’ of this author who had a profound influence on the young Buffet and Doisenau, this part of the exhibition will show Doisneau’s series ‘La Trancehumance’.

Period： September 9., 2016 (Thu.) – January 17., 2017 (Tue.)
Venue： Musée Bernard Buffet
Kuremachisu-no-oka 515-57, Higashino, Nagaizumi-cho, Shizuoka, 411-0931 Japan
TEL: 055-986-1300　FAX：055-987-5511
URL: http://www.buffet-museum.jp
Opening Hours： 10:00 – 17:00 (Sept. – Oct., last admission 16:30)
10:00 – 16:30 (Nov. – Jan., last admission 16:00)
Admissions：Adult 1000 ¥（900 ¥）/ University and High-School Students 500 ¥（400 ¥）
*Free for children in Junior High school and younger.
*(　) Prices in brackets are for groups of 20 or more.

Organization: Musée Bernard Buffet
Planning and Production: Contact Co., Ltd.　
Collaboration: Atelier Robert Doisneau

Artist Profile
Born 1912, in Val-de-Marne, Gentilly, a suburb of Paris. After studying Lithography at the École Estienne, Doisenau becomes assistant of photographer André Vigneau. After working as an industrial designer for Renault for five years, he starts his career as a freelance photographer. Masterfully capturing the everyday life of the people of Paris, his work soon attracts the attention of the public and critics alike. In 1951 his photographs are selected for the ‘Five French Photographers’ at the Museum of Modern Art, New York (MOMA). In 1992, two years before his death, a large retrospective is held at the Oxford Museum of Modern Art. He has also received numerous awards such as the Niepce Award (1956) and the Grand Prix National de la Photographie (1983).

* The information above is based on the flyer for the exhibition which has been kindly provided by the Musée Bernard Buffet and is up to date as of July 2016. Contents may be subject to changes.