Keith de Lellis Gallery is proud to present “The Poetry of Everyday Life – Master Photographers of the French Humanist Movement,” a landmark exhibition celebrating the timeless work of mid-20th century photographers who captured the heart and soul of post-war France.
Featuring both iconic and little known works by Henri Cartier-Bresson, Robert Doisneau, Willy Ronis, Édouard Boubat, Sabine Weiss, this exhibition offers a rare opportunity to explore the deeply human, poetic, and spontaneous moments that defined an era. Through black-and-white imagery rooted in empathy, beauty, and everyday life, these master photographers helped shape the visual identity of 20th-century France.
Curated to highlight both well-known and lesser-seen works, “The Poetry of Everyday Life” delves into the streets, cafés, and countryside of France and elsewhere between the 1930s and 1960s — a period marked by reconstruction, resilience, and quiet joy. The exhibition pays tribute to the movement’s democratic vision: that photography could be both art and a powerful social document.
“The humanist photographers found magic in the mundane. Their work is not just historical; it’s deeply relevant today as we rediscover the beauty of shared humanity,” said Keith de Lellis, curator of the exhibition.
The Poetry of Everyday Life Master Photographers of the French Humanist Movement
20 November – 24 December, 2025
Keith de Lellis Gallery
41 East 57th Street, New York, NY, United States
keithdelellisgallery.com
Willy Ronis (French, 1910 – 2009), Vincent, Aeromodelist, Gordes, 1952
Sabine Weiss (French, 1924 – 2021), Young and Old Faces, Portugal, 1954
Sabine Weiss (French, 1924 – 2021), France, 1956
Sabine Weiss (French, 1924 – 2021), Boy with Homemade Hoop, Malta, c. 1950
Sabine Weiss (French, 1924 – 2021), The War at the Foot of the Sacre Coeur, Paris, c. 1950
Sabine Weiss (French, 1924 – 2021), Le Restaurant Coquet, Montmartre, 1953
Sabine Weiss (French, 1924 – 2021), Gare Saint-Lazare, 1954
Janine Niépce (French, 1921 – 2007), La Course, c. 1960
Janine Niépce (French, 1921 – 2007), Laundry on the Banks of the Saône River at Chalon, 1956
