In 1938 Robert Capa was defined by the prestigious British magazine Picture Post as “The best war photojournalist in the world”. Undoubtedly the war experience was at the center of his activity as a photographer: he began as a photojournalist during the Spanish Civil War and went on to document many other conflicts including the Second World War, of which his photographs of the Normandy landings are some of his most iconic.
The exhibition at Villa Bassi Rathgeb in Abano Terme aims to explore aspects of Capa’s practice that are lesser-known to those more familiar with his reputation as a conflict photographer. His ability to penetrate deeply into the lives of others is seen in intimate photographs of some of the most notable figures in art and culture of the day including Picasso, Hemmingway, Matisse, Humphrey Bogart, Gina Lollobrigida, and Anna Magnani.
Capa made photographs that achieved their exceptionally powerful effect through his strong connection to and affection for people. This attitude, and his use of the small 35-millimeter camera, allowed him to approach his subjects like no one else.
