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Humour & Sensitivity
Humour & Sensitivity
Elliott Erwitt
August 2, 2023
Elliott Erwitt: Erwitt in the Mirror, Tropicana Hotel, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA, 1957
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.”
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.”
ALL IMAGES ON THIS PAGE: © Elliott Erwitt
Elliott Erwitt+-
Was born in Paris on July 26, 1928. He spent his childhood in Milan, until his family moved back to Paris in 1938, and emigrated to the USA the following year. That was where he discovered photography. He has been a member of the Magnum Agency since 1953, and has acted as its president on various occasions. Journalistic assignments alternated with commercial ones, while personal projects developed alongside. In the seventies, Erwitt turned increasingly to film. He produced documentaries, as well as a series of television comedies in the eighties. He lived in New York City. In 2023, he was honoured with the Leica Hall of Fame Award and celebrated with accompanying exhibitions at the Leica Gallery in Wetzlar and in New York. Erwitt passed away in New York City on November 29, 2023. More
Elliott Erwitt: Erwitt in the Mirror, Tropicana Hotel, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA, 1957
Elliott Erwitt: New York City, USA, 1974