Brassaï
1899–1984
Introduction
Brassaï (French: [bʁasaj]; pseudonym of Gyula Halász, Hungarian: [ˈɟulɒ ˈhɒlaːs]; 9 September 1899 – 8 July 1984) was a Hungarian–French photographer, sculptor, medalist, writer, 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.
In the early 21st century, the discovery of more than 200 letters and hundreds of drawings and other items from the period 1940 to 1984 has provided scholars with material for understanding his later life and career.
Wikidata identifier
Q354804
Information from Wikipedia, made available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License . Accessed January 25, 2026.
Introduction
Brassäi is best known for his images of the Paris at night in the 1930s and 1940s. During this time, he captured images of deserted streets, prostitutes, lovers, sailors, and cafe night life, using extreme lighting conditions. The result was the book "Paris de Nuit," published in 1933. With his contributions to the Surrealist magazine "Minotaure," he became friends with Picasso, Alberto Giacometti, and Jacque Lipchitz. In 1937, Brassäi began working for "Harper's Bazaar" magazine, forming a close partnership with its editor, Carmel Snow. In 1962, after the death of Snow, he stopped photography altogether and concentrated on making new prints of his photographs and publishing new editions of his earlier books.
Country of birth
Romania
Roles
Artist, author, journalist, painter, photographer, sculptor, writer
ULAN identifier
500000306
Names
Brassaï, Brassai, Gyula Halász Brassaí, (Gyula Halász) Brassaï, Gyula Halász Brassái, Gyula Halász, Gyuala Halasz
Information from the Getty Research Institute's Union List of Artist Names ® (ULAN), made available under the ODC Attribution License. Accessed January 26, 2026.
