August 14: The Photographer of Paris

Willy Ronis, the first French photographer to work for Life magazine, was born in Paris on this date in 1910. His father, a refugee from Odessa, ran a photography studio in Montmarte, while his mother, a refugee from Lithuana, taught piano. Ronis was pursuing his own musical talent when his father died in 1936, leaving him to take over the family business. Edward Steichen included Ronis in a 1953 exhibition at the Museum of Modern Art in New York, “Five French Photographers.” In 1955, Ronis’ work was included in the “Family of Man” exhibit and book, and in 1957, the Venice Biennale awarded him its Gold Medal. Ronis’ wife, Marie-Ann Lansiaux, was a communist and a painter who modeled for Ronis’ best-known photograph of Provence, “Provençal Nude” (1936), which was reproduced all around the world. In 2005, the City of Paris presented a retrospective exhibit of his work that drew more than half a million visitors. Ronis was an active member of the Association of Revolutionary Writers and Artists and was politically active on the left.
“I never went out without my camera, even to buy bread.” —Willy Ronis