Roger Schall

From the beginning of his career in the 1930s, Roger Schall produced a significant amount of photographic reports on Paris. Like his contemporary, Robert Doisneau, he was attentive to ?the continuous, free show of everyday life?. Both journalistic and artistic, his photos capture the energy that emanated from the capital city in the middle of its economic, artistic, and cultural boom, although it would soon go to war. He photographed Parisians in their day-to-day world, often secretly, silhouetting their outlines and integrating them within the urban landscape. By favouring formal research and original points of view, the photographer brought a fresh perspective to the famous landmarks of the city, such as the major avenues, the Champs Élysées, Montmartre and the banks of the Seine. Here, the City of Lights is shown in all its splendour, accentuated by sharp contrasts of light.