Humour & Sensitivity

Elliott Erwitt (b. July 27, 1928) ranks among the most highly acclaimed photographers worldwide. His predominantly black-and-white images span from portraits of famous personalities such as Marilyn Monroe, Charles de Gaulle and Alfred Hitchcock, to masterful street scenes and documentations of pivotal socio-political events, such as Richard Nixon’s visit to the Soviet Union.

Through to August 15, 2023, the Musée Mailol in Paris presents the most comprehensive retrospective of the Magnum photographer’s work to date. The showcase highlights the diversity of Erwitt’s oeuvre, whilst also illustrating its unifying characteristics: rather than pursuing a purely intellectual approach, the artist has always had a penchant for humour, irony and wit – combined with a subtle tenderness, ever-present curiosity, and an emphasis on emotion. At its core, Erwitt’s visual language is distinguished by a profound humanism. In the artist’s own words: “To say that there is humanity in my photographs is the greatest compliment I have ever received.”