Through a remarkable journey of over 400 photographs, discover the work of the renowned photographer Robert Doisneau.

The exhibition Robert Doisneau. Instants donnés marks the return of Robert Doisneau’s photographs to Paris proper after years of absence.

Around 400 photographs have been carefully selected from the 450,000 that make up the collection. Iconic images sit alongside completely renewed series, showcasing the photographer’s skill in capturing the human experience in a wide range of settings: childhood, artists, writers, cafés, the Vogue years, as well as the harshness and gravity of life in the suburbs…

A new, rare and personal creation

Starting from the most ordinary reality, Robert Doisneau draws us into his unique vision of the world around him.

His amused gaze at childhood. His Parisian suburbs shifting from black and white to color. Intimate visits to the studios of painters and sculptors; his exploration of post-war fashion and luxury during the Vogue years. So many themes that, with unwavering attention, offer a social commentary on a harsh and unforgiving world with which he always felt a deep solidarity.

Throughout an exceptionally rich journey, visitors will discover personal objects and documents belonging to the photographer, as well as interactive and audiovisual elements. Also featured is his advertising work—often humorous and largely unknown.

Far from a nostalgic Doisneau, his photographs were rooted in the present and always looking toward the future.

A real world seen through a dreamer’s eyes

The exhibition Robert Doisneau. Instants donnés offers a true encounter with the photographer and his abundant creative world. His gaze is imbued with that poetic realism through which he sees the world as it is, while highlighting the marvelous. The exhibition exudes a spirit that hovers between lightness and gravity, between dream and reality.

Whether one sees it as a reflection of melancholic reality or as a testimony to an irrepressible joy of living depends on our own story. Perhaps these photographs, some of which have become universal, lead us to a deeper encounter with ourselves…?