This autumn, Palazzo Roverella in Rovigo becomes the beating heart of international photography with a monographic exhibition dedicated to Henri Cartier-Bresson and Italy.

 

From 28 September 2024 to 26 January 2025, art and photography enthusiasts will have the unique opportunity to immerse themselves in the world of Cartier-Bresson: Palazzo Roverella will open its doors once again to host the French master famous for his unmistakable style and his ability to capture the decisive moment.

 

Henri Cartier-Bresson (1908-2004) developed a deep connection with Italy, a country he explored and immortalised at various times during his career, revealing the essence of its culture and traditions through his unmistakable lens.

 

The relationship began in the 1930s, when he visited the country in the company of artist friends, producing some of his first iconic images. In the 1950s, he returned to document rural life in Abruzzo and Lucania, fascinated by the social and cultural challenges these regions represented. Later, he made numerous reportages in the cities of Rome, Naples, Venice, and on the islands of Ischia and Sardinia, capturing moments of everyday life and the post-war transformations of Italy.

 

The bond was consolidated with his last works in the 1970s in Matera, where his photographs reflected the contrast between modernity and tradition. This intense and long-lasting relationship allowed Cartier-Bresson to leave an indelible mark on the panorama of Italian photography.

 

Palazzo Roverella will retrace the stages of Cartier-Bresson’s many journeys in chronological order, offering visitors an immersive experience, a journey that goes far beyond the photographs themselves.

 

In addition to the 200 photographs, vintage works from the Fondation Cartier-Bresson, in fact, visitors will have the opportunity to discover numerous documents – newspapers, magazines, volumes, letters – of a relationship that began very early, as early as the 1930s, and continued until the moment Cartier-Bresson abandoned photography, in the 1970s.

 

And it does not end here. Palazzo Roverella will also host special events linked to the exhibition, offering visitors the opportunity to delve into the life and work of Henri Cartier-Bresson, opening a dialogue between experts and photography enthusiasts.

 

The exhibition, promoted by Fondazione Cassa di Risparmio di Padova e Rovigo, Comune di Rovigo and Accademia dei Concordi, with the support of Intesa Sanpaolo, is realised in collaboration with Fondation Henri Cartier-Bresson in Paris and Fondazione CAMERA – Centro Italiano per la Fotografia in Turin.