Izis Bidermanas
Encyclopedia
Israëlis Bidermanas who worked under the name of Izis, was a Jewish-Lithuanian
photographer who worked in France
and is best known for his photographs of French circus
es and of Paris
.
Born in Marijampole
, Lithuania
, Bidermanas arrived in France in 1930 both to escape Anti-Semitism as well as to become a painter. In 1933 he directed a photographic studio in the 13th Arrondissement of Paris. During World War II
, being a Jew, he had to leave occupied Paris. He went to Ambazac
, in the Limousin
, where he adopted the pseudonym Izis and where he was arrested and tortured by the Nazis
. He was freed by the French Resistance
and became an underground fighter. At that time he photographed his companions, including Colonel Georges Guingouin
. The poet and underground fighter Robert Giraud was the first to write about Izis in the weekly magazine Unir, a magazine created by the Resistance.
Upon the liberation of France at the end of World War II, Izis had a series of portraits of maquisards
(rural resistance fighters who operated mainly in southern France) published to considerable acclaim. He returned to Paris where he became friends with French poet Jacques Prévert
and other artists. Izis became a major figure in the mid-century French movement of humanist photography — also exemplified by Brassaï
, Cartier-Bresson
, Doisneau
and Ronis
— with "work that often displayed a wistfully poetic image of the city and its people."
For his first book, Paris des rêves (Paris of Dreams), Izis asked writers and poets to contribute short texts to accompany his photographs, many of which showed Parisians and others apparently asleep or daydreaming. The book, which Izis designed, was a success. Izis joined Paris Match
in 1950 and remained with it for twenty years, during which time he could choose his assignments.
Meanwhile, his books continued to be popular with the public. Among the numerous books by Izis, Gerry Badger and Martin Parr
have especial praise for Le Cirque d'Izis (The Circus of Izis), "published in 1965, but bearing the stamp of an earlier era". Shot mostly in Paris but also in Lyon
, Marseille
and Toulon
, the photographs are "affectionate and nostalgic, but also deeply melancholic" with "a desolate undercurrent", forming a work that is "profound, moving and extraordinary".
Lithuanian Jews
Lithuanian Jews or Litvaks are Jews with roots in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania:...
photographer who worked in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
and is best known for his photographs of French circus
Circus
A circus is commonly a travelling company of performers that may include clowns, acrobats, trained animals, trapeze acts, musicians, hoopers, tightrope walkers, jugglers, unicyclists and other stunt-oriented artists...
es and of Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
.
Born in Marijampole
Marijampole
Marijampolė is an industrial city and the capital of the Marijampolė County in the south of Lithuania, bordering Poland and Russian Kaliningrad oblast, and Lake Vištytis. The population of Marijampolė is 48,700...
, Lithuania
Lithuania
Lithuania , officially the Republic of Lithuania is a country in Northern Europe, the biggest of the three Baltic states. It is situated along the southeastern shore of the Baltic Sea, whereby to the west lie Sweden and Denmark...
, Bidermanas arrived in France in 1930 both to escape Anti-Semitism as well as to become a painter. In 1933 he directed a photographic studio in the 13th Arrondissement of Paris. During World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, being a Jew, he had to leave occupied Paris. He went to Ambazac
Ambazac
Ambazac is a commune in the Haute-Vienne department in the Limousin region in western France.-Personalities:* Maurice Boitel, painter artist, he painted in Ambazac between 1947 et 1996;* Raymond de Sèze, barrister and member of the Académie française ;...
, in the Limousin
Limousin (région)
Limousin is one of the 27 regions of France. It is composed of three départements: Corrèze, Creuse and the Haute-Vienne.Situated largely in the Massif Central, as of January 1st 2008, the Limousin comprised 740,743 inhabitants on nearly 17 000 km2, making it the second least populated region of...
, where he adopted the pseudonym Izis and where he was arrested and tortured by the Nazis
Nazism
Nazism, the common short form name of National Socialism was the ideology and practice of the Nazi Party and of Nazi Germany...
. He was freed by the French Resistance
French Resistance
The French Resistance is the name used to denote the collection of French resistance movements that fought against the Nazi German occupation of France and against the collaborationist Vichy régime during World War II...
and became an underground fighter. At that time he photographed his companions, including Colonel Georges Guingouin
Georges Guingouin
Georges Guingouin was a French Communist Party militant who played a leading role in the French resistance as head of the Maquis du Limousin...
. The poet and underground fighter Robert Giraud was the first to write about Izis in the weekly magazine Unir, a magazine created by the Resistance.
Upon the liberation of France at the end of World War II, Izis had a series of portraits of maquisards
Maquis (World War II)
The Maquis were the predominantly rural guerrilla bands of the French Resistance. Initially they were composed of men who had escaped into the mountains to avoid conscription into Vichy France's Service du travail obligatoire to provide forced labour for Germany...
(rural resistance fighters who operated mainly in southern France) published to considerable acclaim. He returned to Paris where he became friends with French poet Jacques Prévert
Jacques Prévert
Jacques Prévert was a French poet and screenwriter. His poems became and remain very popular in the French-speaking world, particularly in schools. Some of the movies he wrote are extremely well regarded, with Les Enfants du Paradis considered one of the greatest films of all time.-Life and...
and other artists. Izis became a major figure in the mid-century French movement of humanist photography — also exemplified by Brassaï
Brassaï
Brassaï was a Hungarian photographer, sculptor, and filmmaker who rose to international fame in France in the 20th century. He was one of the numerous Hungarian artists who flourished in Paris beginning between the World Wars...
, Cartier-Bresson
Henri Cartier-Bresson
Henri Cartier-Bresson was a French photographer considered to be the father of modern photojournalism. He was an early adopter of 35 mm format, and the master of candid photography...
, Doisneau
Robert Doisneau
Robert Doisneau was a French photographer. In the 1930s he used a Leica on the streets of Paris; together with Henri Cartier-Bresson he was a pioneer of photojournalism...
and Ronis
Willy Ronis
Willy Ronis was a French photographer, the best-known of whose work shows life in post-war Paris and Provence.-Early life:...
— with "work that often displayed a wistfully poetic image of the city and its people."
For his first book, Paris des rêves (Paris of Dreams), Izis asked writers and poets to contribute short texts to accompany his photographs, many of which showed Parisians and others apparently asleep or daydreaming. The book, which Izis designed, was a success. Izis joined Paris Match
Paris Match
Paris Match is a French weekly magazine. It covers major national and international news along with celebrity lifestyle features. It was founded in 1949 by the industrialist Jean Prouvost....
in 1950 and remained with it for twenty years, during which time he could choose his assignments.
Meanwhile, his books continued to be popular with the public. Among the numerous books by Izis, Gerry Badger and Martin Parr
Martin Parr
Martin Parr is a British documentary photographer, photojournalist and photobook collector. He is known for his photographic projects that take a critical look at aspects of modern life, in particular provincial and suburban life in England...
have especial praise for Le Cirque d'Izis (The Circus of Izis), "published in 1965, but bearing the stamp of an earlier era". Shot mostly in Paris but also in Lyon
Lyon
Lyon , is a city in east-central France in the Rhône-Alpes region, situated between Paris and Marseille. Lyon is located at from Paris, from Marseille, from Geneva, from Turin, and from Barcelona. The residents of the city are called Lyonnais....
, Marseille
Marseille
Marseille , known in antiquity as Massalia , is the second largest city in France, after Paris, with a population of 852,395 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Marseille extends beyond the city limits with a population of over 1,420,000 on an area of...
and Toulon
Toulon
Toulon is a town in southern France and a large military harbor on the Mediterranean coast, with a major French naval base. Located in the Provence-Alpes-Côte-d'Azur region, Toulon is the capital of the Var department in the former province of Provence....
, the photographs are "affectionate and nostalgic, but also deeply melancholic" with "a desolate undercurrent", forming a work that is "profound, moving and extraordinary".
Collections of Photographs and Shows
- Paris des rêves. Lausanne: Éditions Clairfontaine; Paris: Éditions Mermoud, 1950.
- Grand Bal du printemps. Lausanne: Éditions Clairfontaine, 1951. With text by Jacques PrévertJacques PrévertJacques Prévert was a French poet and screenwriter. His poems became and remain very popular in the French-speaking world, particularly in schools. Some of the movies he wrote are extremely well regarded, with Les Enfants du Paradis considered one of the greatest films of all time.-Life and...
. Paris: Cherche midi, 2008. ISBN 9782749111346. - Charmes de Londres. Lausanne: Éditions Clairfontaine, 1952. Editions de Monza, 1999. With text by Jacques Prévert.
- Gala Day London. Harvill Press, 1953. With text by John BetjemanJohn BetjemanSir John Betjeman, CBE was an English poet, writer and broadcaster who described himself in Who's Who as a "poet and hack".He was a founding member of the Victorian Society and a passionate defender of Victorian architecture...
. - The Queen's People. [London]: Harvill Press, [1953]. With text by John PudneyJohn PudneyJohn Sleigh Pudney was a British journalist and writer. He was known for short stories, poetry, non-fiction and children's fiction .-Education:...
. - Paradis terrestre. Lausanne: Éditions Clairfontaine, 1953. With text by ColetteColetteColette was the surname of the French novelist and performer Sidonie-Gabrielle Colette . She is best known for her novel Gigi, upon which Lerner and Loewe based the stage and film musical comedies of the same title.-Early life and marriage:Colette was born to retired military officer Jules-Joseph...
. - Izis. Chicago: Art Institute of Chicago, 1955.
- Israël. Lausanne: Éditions Clairfontaine, 1955.
- Israel. New York: Orion Press, 1958.
- Le Cirque d'Izis. Monte Carlo: André Sauret, 1965. With text by Jacques Prévert and original artwork by Marc ChagallMarc ChagallMarc Chagall Art critic Robert Hughes referred to Chagall as "the quintessential Jewish artist of the twentieth century."According to art historian Michael J...
. - The World of Marc Chagall. London: Aldus, 1968. ISBN 0490001009. Garden City, N.Y.: Doubleday, 1968.
- Le Monde de Chagall. Paris: Gallimard, 1969.
- Izis (Israel Biderman), octobre-decembre 1972. [Tel Aviv]: Musée de Tel-Aviv, 1972.
- Paris des poètes. Paris: F. Nathan, 1977.
- Izis. Toulouse: Galerie municipale du Château d'eau, 1978. ISBN 231844625.
- Rétrospective Izis: 14 octobre-8 janvier, Hôtel de SullyHôtel de SullyThe Hôtel de Sully is a hôtel particulier, or private mansion, in the Louis XIII style, located in the Le Marais, IV arondissement, Paris. It is located at 62 rue Saint-Antoine.-History:...
. Paris: Caisse nationale des monuments historiques et des sites, 1988. ISBN 2858220794. - Izis, photographies. Paris: Editions du Désastre, 1988. ISBN 2877700003.
- Les Amoureux du temps retrouvé. Treville, 1989.
- Les Enfants du temps perdu Treville, 1989.
- Izis: photos 1944-1980. Paris: Editions de la Martinière, 1993. ISBN 2732420166.
- Izis, Captive Dreams: Photographs 1944–1980. London: Thames & Hudson, 1993. ISBN 0-500-54185-X.
- IZIS, Paris des rèves Paris City Hall, Jan-May 2010. Catalogue published by Flammarion 2010, and online exhibit with HD images on Paris.fr.
