Robert Doisneau: Music

Previously unpublished photographs and iconic portraits of musicians from the 1950s through the 1980s offer a new perspective on Doisneau’s remarkable talent.

Master photographer Robert Doisneau’s passion for the joyful energy inherent in the music world comes alive in images that cover the musical spectrum, from classical and jazz to be-bop to the roots of modern rap and alternative rock. With camera in hand, Doisneau crisscrossed Paris to capture intimate moments with star musicians such as Eartha Kitt in a jazz club, Django Reinhardt at home, and Yehudi Menuhin backstage, or with locals at a neighborhood dance or jamming in a brass band. His portraits were commissioned for stars from Juliette Gréco to Charles Aznavour to Claude François, and a new generation of musicians in the 1980s including Rita Mitsouko and Les Négresses Vertes.

This book–curated by the photographer’s granddaughter to accompany an exhibition at the Philharmonie de Paris–includes more than one hundred photographs, many previously unpublished, that showcase the artist’s mastery in editing, special effects, photomontage, collage, photo distortions, and splits.