Given Moments: Doisneau elevates the human experience at the Maillol Museum

If the name Robert Doisneau is famous all over the world, people often tend to reduce the photographer's work to a few snapshots, including the iconic Baiser de l’Hôtel de Ville. However, his work represents over 450,000 pieces, with a few hundred now accessible at the Musée Maillol. These are stolen moments of life, priceless testimonies to the poetry of the present moment.

Poetry, all the time, everywhere

What strikes you most when wandering through the halls of the Musée Maillol is Robert Doisneau's ability to transform a daily scene into play, showcasing the extraordinary hidden all around us. Each snapshot, in each thematic room of the exhibition, gives us both a childlike, playful perspective at times, and at others, a serious and thought-provoking one.

Military vehicle, July 14, 1969 © Atelier Robert Doisneau

From the first room dedicated to the silliness and innocence of children to the ones a little further on dedicated to the workers of factories or mines, their resilience and strength, Doisneau stands as a savior of mankind. Through each of his photos, the artist offers us a journey of life and humanity, showcasing all the shades of the human experience, from childhood to old age. A poetic portrait, raw and sometimes a bit absurd and whimsical, that demonstrates the accuracy of Doisneau's eye.

An accuracy that he puts at the service of others, whether during his various stays in the mines or his years at the Renault factory in Boulogne.logne. But also while dedicating several years of his career to fashion, notably by becoming a regular collaborator with Vogue France, or by creating numerous advertisements for various brands at the Rapho agency. Without ever straying from his artistic vision, he injects a new dynamic into photography throughout his long and prolific career. 

Paris and its suburbs as a backdrop

Instants Donnés also offers us the chance to dive almost literally into the social and cultural life of 20th-century Paris. From room to room, the museum highlights the powerful connections that Doisneau had with the artists of his time, whether they were painters, sculptors, writers or photographers. We are delightfully immersed in the intimacy of Marguerite Duras, Simone de Beauvoir, Fernand Léger, Jacques Prévert, or even Giacometti, in the workshops and favorite cafés where the photographer had his connections.

The Hairdressers in the Sun, Paris 1966 © Atelier Robert Doisneau

But more than the personalities that made it come alive, it’s the capital itself that truly becomes the star of this exhibition. Cafés, bistros, cobblestone streets, squares, and even the Eiffel Tower, all come to life through Doisneau's lens, who gives us a genuine love letter. This portrait also extends to the surroundings of the capital, as the photographer captures humanity in the suburbs from the 30s to the 50s as well as in the 80s.

As he mingles with his encounters and moods, he offers us moments caught on the fly, unexpected, endless, where everyone is free to read what they like. Because after all, the photos “successful are c.they who don’t conclude, who don’t tell a story all the way through but stay open, to allow people to also take a little journey with the image, to continue it as they wish: a stepping stone to dreams, in a way… »