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Robert Capa
(Hungarian, 1913-1954)
In 1938 Robert Capa was described as the greatest war photographer that ever lived by the Picture Post. Gallant, brave, and talented he covered critical conflicts in Europe and the Far East from the Spanish Civil War (where he took the famous photograph of the Fallen Loyalist Soldier), the Second Sino-Japanese War, World War II (including the landing of the troops in Normandy on D-Day), the Arab-Israeli War and the War in Indochina where he was ultimately killed by a land mine. In 1947 Capa founded Magnum Photo Agency with fellow photographers Henri Cartier-Bresson, George Roger, David Seymour (Chim) and William Vandivert.
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CHRONOLOGY |
1913 |
Born André Friedmann in Budapest to Jewish parents. |
1931-1933 |
Leftist student activities forced him into exile from Hungary. Moved to Berlin and studied political science at the Deutsche Hochschule für Politik. |
1932 |
Photographic assistant for Dephot photo agency. First assignment was to cover Leon Trotsky speaking to Danish students. |
1933 |
Fled Berlin after Hitler took over, settled in Paris after short stays in Vienna and Budapest. |
1935 |
Represented by Alliance Photo.
Met journalist and photographer Gerda Taro with whom he invented the name "Robert Capa". Began selling his prints under Capa name. |
1937 |
Gerda Taro killed in Spain.
Signed contract with Life magazine. |
1938 |
Traveled to China. |
1939 |
Emigrated to New York. |
1944 |
Covered the landing of American troops on Omaha beach on D-Day. |
1945 |
Covered capture of Leipzig, Nuremberg and Berlin and liberation of Paris, and the Battle of the Bulge. |
1947 |
Founded Magnum Photos with Henri Cartier-Bresson, David Seymour (Chim), George Rodger and William Vandivert. |
1950-1953 |
Lived in Paris and served as President of Magnum. |
1953 |
Passport suspended by U.S. government due to false accusations of Communism. |
1954 |
Killed stepping on land mine while photographing for Life in Thai-Binh, Indochina. |
1955 |
The Robert Capa Gold Medal Award established to reward exceptional professional merit. |
SELECTED SOLO EXHIBITIONS |
2005-2006 |
"Robert Capa: Retrospective", Galerie Am Tunnel, Luxembourg
Traveled:
Nobel Peace Center, Oslo
Kunsthalle, Fellbach, Germany |
2004-2005 |
"Robert Capa connu et inconnu", Bibliothèque Nationale de France, Paris, France
Traveled: Martin Gropius Bau, Berlin, Germany |
2002 |
"Slightly Out of Focus", Daimaru Museum, Tokyo, Japan |
2000 |
"Robert Capa: Photographs", Worcester Art Museum, Worcester, MA |
1999 |
"Heart of Spain: Capa's Photographs of the Spanish Civil War", Museo Reina Sofia, Madrid, Spain |
1998 |
"Robert Capa Photographs" International Center of Photography, New York, NY |
1997 |
"Robert Capa: A Retrospective", Philadelphia Museum of Art, Philadelphia, PA
Traveled: Aperture Foundation, New York, NY |
1995 |
"Capa's life", Tokyo Fuji Art Museum, Mitsukoshi, Tokyo, Japan |
1991 |
"Robert Capa : A Retrospective", Sala de Exposiciones de la Disputacion, Burgos, Spain
Traveled:
Circulo de Bella Artes, Santa Cruz de Tenerife
Museo de Bellas Artes, Caracas, Venuzuela |
1985 |
"Robert Capa: Photographs", International Center of Photography, New York, NY |
1976 |
"Capa: emlèkkiàllilàs", Budapest Mücsarnok, Budapest, Hungary |
1967 |
"Robert Capa: The Concerned Photographer", one of six one-man shows organized by the International Fund for Concerned Photography, Riverside Museum, New York, NY |
1966 |
A Magyar Fotomüvészet Budapest, Hungary |
1960 |
"Robert Capa: War Photographs", Smithsonian Institution, Washington DC
Traveled |
SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS |
2006 |
"Circa. 1947: The Founding of Magnum", Howard Greenberg Gallery, New York, NY |
2002 |
"Israel", Musée d'art et d'histoire du Judaïsme, Paris, France |
1991 |
"Children of War, Children of Peace", International Center of Photography, New York, NY |
1990 |
"Capa and Capa" (with Cornell Capa), Mitsukoshi, Tokyo, Japan |
1972 |
"The Eye as a Profession", (with a documentary film on Robert Capa), RAI Corporation Premio Italia, Turin, Italy |
1964 |
"Images of War", Smithsonian Institution, Washington DC |
1962 |
"Man's Inhumanity to Man" Red Cross Centenial, Photokina, Cologne, Germany |
1959 |
"Photography in the Fine Arts" Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York |
1955 |
"The Family of Man" Museum of Modern Art, New York, NY
Traveled extensively |
1952 |
"On Picasso" (with Gjon Mili), Museum of Modern Art, New York, NY |
BIBLIOGRAPHY |
2004 |
Robert Capa Connu et Inconnu. BNF éditions, Paris |
2001 |
Robert Capa: The Definitive Collection. Phaidon Press Ltd, UK; (Robert Capa: La Collection. Phaidon Press, Paris) |
1999 |
Heart of Spain. Aperture, New York |
1996/01 |
Robert Capa: Photographs. Aperture, New York;
(Robert Capa: Photographies. Editions Nathan, Paris) |
1991 |
Children of War, Children of Peace. Bulfinch Press, Boston |
1990 |
Capa & Capa: Brothers in Photography. International Center of Photography, New York |
1988 |
Robert Capa: Photographs from Israel. The Tel Aviv Museum of Art, Tel Aviv |
1985 |
Robert Capa: Photographs. Alfred A. Knopf, New York;
(Robert Capa Photographe. Sylvie Messinger, Paris)
Robert Capa: A Biography. By Richard Whelan, Alfred A. Knopf, New York; Mazarine, Paris |
1974 |
Robert Capa 1913-1954. Grossman Publishers, New York |
1964/65 |
Images of War. Grossman Publishers, New York;
(Images de guerre. Hachette, Paris)
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1950 |
Report on Israel. Text by Irwin Shaw. Simon and Schuster, Inc, New York |
1948 |
A Russian journal. Text by John Steinbeck. Viking Press, New York |
1947 |
Slightly Out of Focus. Henry Holt & Co, New York(reprint: Modern Library, New York, 1999; Contrasto, Rome 2002; Delpire, France 2003) |
1944 |
Invasion! Text by Charles C. Wertenbaker. D. Appleton Century Co, New York |
1941 |
Battle of Waterloo Road. Text by Diana Forber-Robertson. Random House, New York |
1938 |
Death in the Making. With Gerda Taro. Covici Friede, New York |
SELECTED PUBLIC COLLECTIONS |
International Center of Photography, New York, NY
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
National Galleries of Scotland, Edinburgh, Scotland
Musée national d'art contemporain, Paris, France
Cleveland Art Museum, Cleveland, OH
Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Los Angeles, CA
Philadelphia Museum of Art, Philadelphia, PA
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AWARDS |
1954 |
War Cross with Palm from the French Army (posthumously) |
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