Martine Franck

This accessible monograph is the perfect introduction to the work of the Magnum photographer Martine Franck (b. 1939). A key member of the prestigious photographic agency along with her late husband Henri Cartier-Bresson, Franck achieved international recognition with her elegantly-composed images of theatre productions, carnivals and street festivals in France, and her evocative landscapes and compassionate portraits bring an aesthetic rigour and a feminine sensibility to the humanist Magnum philosophy. Her portraits include images of her contemporaries Balthus, Paul Strand and Marc Chagall, alongside engaging pictures that capture the exuberance and innocence of childhood. She is best known for her work about those living on the margins of society or in isolated communities, as seen in her sensitive images of Tibetan lamas, Gaelic-speaking communities in Ireland and her tender portraits of the elderly. The 55 images featured in this book are representative of Franck's career and are accompanied by an essay and detailed picture commentaries that assess her important contribution to the medium of photography.