Getty Museum
In Botmeur, Finistère, France
Creator
Paul StrandAmerican Photographer · 1890–1976
All works by this person →Paul Strand began photographing in New York in the 1910s. During the early 1920s he received recognition for both his painting and his photography. He visited New Mexico in 1926 and, beginning in 1930, returned for three consecutive summers, making portraits of artist friends and acquaintances. It was there, amidst a community of visual artists and writers, that Strand began to develop his belief
More on Getty ULAN- Date
- 1950
- Medium
- Gelatin silver print
- Culture
- American
- Department
- Photographs
- Institution
- Getty Museum
In Paul Strand’s 1952 book _La France de profit_ this particular image appears opposite a poem by Claude Roy (1915-1997). The words were arranged on the page so as to follow the silhouettes of the buildings and the large elm tree (See figure no. 6 on [CLAUDE ROY ET PAUL STRAND, LA FRANCE DE PROFIL, 1952](https://db-prod-bcul.unil.ch/expositions/LIVRE_PHOTO/GUILDE_DU_LIVRE/LA_FRANCE_DE_PROFIL/INDEX.HTM)). The photograph and poem are interesting companions: each simultaneously complements and resonates with the other. Strand's picture came first and was inspiration for Roy's text, which conjures up images of longing while dealing with opposites. However, the photograph goes beyond the words to reveal the universal theme of time and its passing. The transit of time is intimated by the trees, which exemplify the cycle of life itself: they continue to grow, shed their leaves, and spring new buds. The buildings remain fixed and unchanging, except for the degradation of their facades. Strand and Roy traveled around the country, from Brittany to the South of France, seeking out places and things of interest for their project. Strand was convinced that the book format was a perfect medium for showing his work, and, seen as an extension of his vision, the production of the book was highly important to him. He was disappointed with the quality of reproductions in his 1950 publication Time in New England and consequently insisted on overseeing all production of the French plates at the printer in Lausanne, Switzerland. This intensive managing of the project was something he would repeat for all his subsequent publications. Originally published in _Paul Strand_, In Focus: Photographs from the J. Paul Getty Museum by Anne M. Lyden (Los Angeles: J. Paul Getty Museum, 2005), 70. ©2005, J. Paul Getty Trust.
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