Born in Chanteloup, France in 1908, he began photographing in 1932. He became involved with documentary film production between 1936 and 1939 with Jean Renoir and independently. He was held prisoner in Germany between 1940 and 1943 and, believed killed, became the subject of a 'posthumous' exhibition at the Museum of Modern Art in New York in 1947, the year in which he co-founded Magnum. In 1952 he published The Decisive Moment, which was to have an enormous impact on photography. Photographing throughout the world, he lived and worked in the Far East from 1948 to 1950 but in the mid 1970s devoted more time to drawing and painting. His work in all media has been much exhibited and he has received many awards. The Grand Prix International de Photographie Henri Cartier-Bresson was created by the Centre National de la Photographie, Paris in his honour in 1988.