Couple d'amoureux dans un petit café, quartier Italie
Born in Brasso, Transylvania, Gyula Halász took the name of his birthplace as a pseudonym in l932, when he had lived in Paris for six years working as an illustrator and correspondent for Hungarian and German newspapers. In 1929, after accompanying the expatriate Hungarian photographer André Kertész on assignment, Brassaï decided to take up photography himself.
In this photograph, Brassaï's compositional skill is evident in the way he has framed his subjects, each lover's gaze reflected in a mirror. Such artifice and formal elegance, rather than the harsh realities of photographic realism, were of supreme importance to him. Indeed, this and many of his photographs were staged, leading to a complicity between photographer and subject that adds to the picture's sophistication and playfulness.
In this photograph, Brassaï's compositional skill is evident in the way he has framed his subjects, each lover's gaze reflected in a mirror. Such artifice and formal elegance, rather than the harsh realities of photographic realism, were of supreme importance to him. Indeed, this and many of his photographs were staged, leading to a complicity between photographer and subject that adds to the picture's sophistication and playfulness.
Artwork Details
- Title: Couple d'amoureux dans un petit café, quartier Italie
- Artist: Brassaï (French (born Romania), Brașov 1899–1984 Côte d'Azur)
- Date: ca. 1932, printed mid-1960s
- Medium: Gelatin silver print
- Dimensions: 28.3 x 22.7 cm (11 1/8 x 8 15/16 in.)
- Classification: Photographs
- Credit Line: Warner Communications Inc. Purchase Fund, 1980
- Object Number: 1980.1023.5
- Rights and Reproduction: © Estate Brassaï Succession – Paris
- Curatorial Department: Photographs
More Artwork
A slider containing 5 items.
Press the down key to skip to the last item.
Press the down key to skip to the last item.
Brassaï
1936
Brassaï
1939
Brassaï
1946
Brassaï
1950, printed 1960s
Brassaï
1946
Related Content
Publications
Books, guides, and catalogues published by The Met.
Free to download
Research Resources
The Met provides unparalleled resources for research and welcomes an international community of students and scholars. The Met's Open Access API is where creators and researchers can connect to the The Met collection. Open Access data and public domain images are available for unrestricted commercial and noncommercial use without permission or fee.
To request images under copyright and other restrictions, please use this Image Request form.
Feedback
We continue to research and examine historical and cultural context for objects in The Met collection. If you have comments or questions about this object record, please complete and submit this form. The Museum looks forward to receiving your comments.