August SanderHommes du XXe Siècle: analyse de l'oeuvre

Born in Germany, portrait photographer August Sander (1876-1964) dedicated his artistic practice to conveying a faithful and objective image of his era. In the mid-1920s, he embarked on an ambitious project entitled "Men of the 20th Century": to create, on a large scale, the most accurate documentary chronicle possible of society. Over several decades, Sander produced hundreds of portraits of his contemporaries, alone or in groups, categorized by profession or according to social or familial criteria, aiming to represent the different strata of society, divided into seven distinct groups: "the peasant," "the craftsman," "the woman," "the socio-professional categories," "the artists," "the big city," and finally, focusing on the themes of old age, illness, and death, "the last of men." Revised numerous times over the years, this monumental undertaking occupied him until the end of his life. It was partially published but remained unfinished. This new, single-volume edition, the most complete ever published, brings together 619 black and white portraits along with a new analysis of the work. A masterful and unparalleled work, considered a classic of photographic literature, unique in the history of this art form – both in terms of its concept and the project itself.