Unsigned matte-finish 7.75 x 11.5 photo of a young woman in the People’s Militia sitting on the ground and reading with a line of rifles in the background, bearing a photographer’s stamp on the reverse by “Henri Cartier-Bresson & Magnum Photos.” In fine condition, with mild surface creases.
Henri Cartier-Bresson's pioneering work in photojournalism elevated the genre of candid street photography to fine art in its ability to capture what he termed the 'Decisive Moment.' He founded the iconic Magnum Photos cooperative in 1947 with a group of other important photojournalists, who split up assignments among the members to cover news around the globe. Cartier-Bresson was first assigned to China and India, where he covered the last stages of the Chinese Civil War in 1949 and left as the Communist regime took power. These photos come from his return to China in the late 1950s, when he traveled thousands of miles throughout the country to depict Chinese life during the 'Great Leap Forward.' These photographs were printed during the same period they were taken, confirmed by his appropriate inkstamp on the reverse, making them extremely sought after by collectors.
