
Eiffel Towers in Snow Globes (Les Tour Eiffel dans les boules neigeuses)
<p>A pioneering photojournalist, Robert Doisneau is known for documenting life in Paris with affection and humor. A series of books based on his images—The Suburbs of Paris, The Children of Paris, and The Magic of Paris, among others—appeared during the early postwar era. In the context of his lengthy project, Doisneau photographed the Eiffel Tower from a myriad of angles. While the tower had long interested artists as an icon of modernity, Doisneau’ s take was less lofty. Rather than focus on the novel perspectives and abstract forms afforded by its iconic architectural design, he often framed the landmark within a humanistic context. Here, he employed an avant–garde perspective but recast the tower as kitsch, portraying an endless production line of trinkets for the Parisian tourist industry.</p>
Catalogue
- Year
- 1949
- Medium
- Gelatin silver print
- Dimensions
- 38.9 × 29.8 cm (15 3/8 × 11 3/4 in.)
- Collection
- Art Institute of Chicago
- Artist
- Robert Doisneau
Artist

Photography
Robert Doisneau was a French photographer whose black-and-white street photographs captured the texture of Parisian daily life in the postwar decades. Working primarily in 35mm, he developed a distinctive approach to candid documentary that balanced formal composition with unguarded human moments, often centering ordinary people in public spaces. His photographs have been exhibited at the Bibliothèque Nationale de France and major international institutions. Doisneau's work defined a humanistic photographic tradition that valued intimacy and wit over spectacle.
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More by Robert Doisneau
Les Hélicopteres
1972 · Gelatin silver print, No. 12 from the portfolio "Robert Doisneau" (1979)
Les Hélicoptères
1972 · Gelatin silver print
Boulangerie, Rue de Poitou
1971 · Gelatin silver print
Bakery, Rue de Poitou (Boulangerie Rue de Poitou)
1971 · Gelatin silver print, No. 11 from the portfolio "Robert Doisneau" (1979)
Trois Petits Enfants Blancs
1960 · Gelatin silver print
At the Café, Chez Fraysse, Rue de Seine, Paris
1958 · Gelatin silver print
Record
Verified by WattsOS- Artist
- Robert Doisneau
- Year
- 1949
- Medium
- Gelatin silver print
- Dimensions
- 38.9 × 29.8 cm (15 3/8 × 11 3/4 in.)
- Watts ID
- WW-1949-111990
Source
- Collection
- Art Institute of Chicago
- Source
- aic
- Reference
- View at source
- Status
- verified





