Almost 400 works by the esteemed photographer Robert Doisneau are currently on show at the Musée Maillol in Paris.
Instants Donnés marks a long-awaited return of Robert Doisneau’s photographs to Paris.
Around 400 photographs have been carefully selected from the collection of 450,000. The works encompass images of childhood, artists, writers, cafés, the Vogue years, in addition to the harshness and gravity of life in the suburbs.
Throughout an exceptionally rich journey, visitors will discover personal objects and documents belonging to the photographer, as well as interactive and audiovisual elements. Also featured is his advertising work—often humorous and largely unknown.
The exhibition is curated by Francine Deroudille, Isabelle Benoit and Benoît Remiche in addition to Annette Doisneau, daughter of the photographer and founder of Atelier Robert Doisneau.
Described by the Musée Maillol as " a real world seen through a dreamer's eyes... Instant Donnés offers a true enounter with the photographer and his abundant creative world. His gaze is imbued with that poetic realism through which he sees the world as it is, while highlighting the marvelous. The exhibition exudes a spirit that hovers between lightness and gravity, between dream and reality."
Musée Maillol is located at 59-61 Rue de Grenelle in Paris and is open from 10:30 AM to 6:30 PM (late opening on Wednesdays until 10pm). Robert Doisneau: Instant Donnés runs through 12th October, 2025.