First exhibited under the title "Exposing a stool-pigeon in a displaced persons camp, Dessau, Germany," this picture transcends ordinary photojournalism, offering a thin slice of action resonant with human truth beyond the incident depicted. The picture's dramatis personae are embodiments of Rage and Shame standing before Justice with a Greek chorus in the background observing the action. The liberation of German camps and their prisoners' return to civilian life was a subject Cartier-Bresson understood deeply, having spent three years in German prisoner-of-war camps, successfully escaping to France only on his third attempt.
Due to rights restrictions, this image cannot be enlarged, viewed at full screen, or downloaded.
Artwork Details
Use your arrow keys to navigate the tabs below, and your tab key to choose an item
Inscription: Inscribed in pencil on mount, verso UC: "Camp de D D de Dessay 1945 // interrogatoire d'une indicatrice // de la gestapo qui cherchait à regagner la France en se glissant // parmi des DP."; inscribed in pencil on mount, verso C, LC: "C/E58", "178 [upside down, encircled]"; inscribed in pencil on mount, verso UR: "francoise // ou belge // ? [all encircled]"; inscribed in blue ink on mount, verso LR corner: "VIII [upside down]", "6 [sideways]"
John C. Waddell
Museum of Modern Art, New York. "Henri Cartier-Bresson [X]," April 30, 1905–May 1, 1905.
Kunst-und Ausstellungshalle der Bundesrepublik Deutschland. "Pantheon der Photographie," June 19, 1992–September 20, 1992.
The Metropolitan Museum of Art. "Johnson Gallery, Selections from the Collection 1," December 4, 1992–May 4, 1993.
The Metropolitan Museum of Art. "Johnson Gallery, Selections from the Collection 35," June 24–October 19, 2003.
The Metropolitan Museum of Art. "Few Are Chosen: Street Photography and the Book, 1936-1966," November 5, 2004–March 6, 2005.
The Metropolitan Museum of Art. "Framing a Century: Master Photographers, 1840–1940," June 3–September 1, 2008.
Henri Cartier-Bresson (French, Chanteloup-en-Brie 1908–2004 Montjustin)
December 1989
Resources for Research
The Met's Libraries and Research Centers provide unparalleled resources for research and welcome an international community of students and scholars.
The Met Collection API is where all makers, creators, researchers, and dreamers can connect to the most up-to-date data and public domain images for The Met collection. Open Access data and public domain images are available for unrestricted commercial and noncommercial use without permission or fee.
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.
The Met's Department of Photographs houses a collection of more than 75,000 works spanning the history of photography from its invention in the 1830s to the present.