André Kertész: Postcards from Paris

The Hungarian-born photographer André Kertész arrived in Paris in 1925 largely unknown, but less than three years later he was exhibiting alongside the likes of Man Ray and Berenice Abbott, and contributing frequently to publications. In that brief period, he printed the majority of his images on postcard paper – a format that was conveniently cheap, but which also allowed him considerable artistic freedom. The hundreds of small-scale works he produced – which he would circulate among friends in Paris, and post to family and friends abroad – include street scenes, portraits, daring still-life compositions and photographs of dancers in movement. When fame called, Kertész largely abandoned the carte postale format – but these early works, a selection of which go on display here at the Art Institute of Chicago (2 October–17 January 2022), offer a rich record of a photographer developing his eye. Find out more from the Art Institute of Chicago’s website.

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