“Henri Cartier-Bresson was the greatest photographer of the twentieth century. His images are timeless. Putting this collection together has given so much joy and meaning to my life. I think and hope that through this auction a new generation of global collectors will experience the same joy and inspiration in their lives that I have. During my thirty-plus years of collecting and running a gallery, it has been my belief that there are ‘good’ photographers, and even some ‘great’ photographers, but Cartier-Bresson was and still is in a class of his own.” — Peter Fetterman, November 27, 2017
Over 120 works from Fetterman’s personal collection of photographs by Henri Cartier-Bresson are on view and will be up for auction at Phillips in New York.
“We are delighted to offer these spectacular images in our final auction of 2017. Peter Fetterman played a vital role in expanding Cartier-Bresson’s audience in the United States. A great deal of Cartier-Bresson’s works have become instantly recognizable, and in addition to those images, there are many photographs in Mr. Fetterman’s collection that have rarely been seen. These stunning images span over three decades of the artist’s career and were taken throughout his travels across the globe. They beautifully capture the aesthetic of the ‘decisive moment’ that defines his oeuvre.” — Vanessa Hallett, deputy chairman and worldwide head of photograph’s at Phillips
HENRI-CARTIER-BRESSON: THE EYE OF THE CENTURY—PERSONAL PHOTOGRAPHS FROM THE COLLECTION OF PETER FETTERMAN
PUBLIC VIEWING, through December 11.
AUCTION, Tuesday, December 12, at 2 pm.
PHILLIPS, 450 Park Avenue, New York City.
phillips.com/auctions/auction/NY
Peter Fetterman is a collector and owner of the Peter Fetterman Gallery in Santa Monica. See his personal tribute to Henri Cartier-Bresson, published in B & W magazine following the photographer’s death:
From top:
Malcolm X, 1961. © Henri Cartier-Bresson.
Truman Capote, 1947. © Henri Cartier-Bresson.
