Marc Riboud facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Marc Riboud
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Marc Riboud in 1975
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| Born | 24 June 1923 Saint-Genis-Laval, France
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| Died | 30 August 2016 (aged 93) Paris, France
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| Nationality | French |
| Alma mater | École centrale de Lyon |
| Occupation | Photographer |
| Spouse(s) | Barbara Chase-Riboud (1961–19??; divorced) |
| Children | 2 |
| Awards | Lucie Award (2006) Sony World Photography Awards (2009) Prix Nadar (2012) |
Marc Riboud (born June 24, 1923 – died August 30, 2016) was a famous French photographer. He was known for his many photo stories, especially about places in Asia like China and Vietnam. His work showed both the difficulties of war and the beauty of everyday life.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Marc Riboud was born in Saint-Genis-Laval, France. He went to school in Lyon. He took his very first photo in 1937 when he was just 14 years old. He used his father's small Vest Pocket Kodak camera.
During World War II, from 1943 to 1945, Riboud was part of the French Resistance. This was a group that secretly fought against the enemy forces occupying France. After the war, he studied engineering at the École Centrale de Lyon from 1945 to 1948.
Becoming a Photographer
After finishing his engineering studies, Riboud worked in factories in Lyon until 1951. But he loved photography more. He took a week-long vacation just to take pictures, and this trip made him decide to become a full-time photographer.
He moved to Paris, a big city in France. There, he met famous photographers like Henri Cartier-Bresson and Robert Capa. These photographers were the founders of a special group called Magnum Photos. By 1953, Marc Riboud became a member of this important photography group. He was already very good at capturing special moments in life with his camera.
Traveling the World for Photos
Over many years, Riboud traveled all around the world. In 1957, he was one of the first European photographers to visit China. He also visited North Vietnam several times in the late 1960s and 1970s.
He traveled a lot in Asia, Africa, the U.S., and Japan. Riboud saw and photographed many important events. He took pictures of the terrible things that happened during wars, like the Vietnam War. He also showed how cultures changed under strict governments, like in China during Chairman Mao Zedong's Cultural Revolution.
But Riboud also captured the beauty of daily life. He photographed sunny places like Fès in Morocco and Angkor in Cambodia. He also showed the fun of children playing in Paris. In 1979, Riboud left the Magnum agency.
His photos were published in many popular magazines. These included Life, Géo, National Geographic, Paris Match, and Stern. He won several awards for his work, including the Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2009 Sony World Photography Awards.
Famous Photographs
Eiffel Tower Painter
One of Marc Riboud's most famous pictures is called Eiffel Tower Painter. He took it in Paris in 1953. The photo shows a man painting the Eiffel Tower. The man looks like a dancer, balancing high up on the metal parts of the tower. Below him, you can see the city of Paris. Riboud often photographed single people in his pictures.
The Flower and the Bayonet
Another very famous photo by Riboud is "The Ultimate Confrontation: The Flower and the Bayonet." He took this picture on October 21, 1967. It became a symbol against war.
The photo was taken in Washington, D.C., in the United States. Many people were protesting the Vietnam War in front of the Pentagon. The picture shows a young girl named Jan Rose Kasmir. She is holding a flower and looking kindly at soldiers who are holding rifles. The soldiers were there to stop the protesters.
Riboud said about the photo, "She was just talking, trying to catch the eye of the soldiers, maybe trying to have a dialogue with them." He felt that the soldiers seemed more scared of her than she was of their weapons.
Music and Photography
The American band Rage Against the Machine used two of Riboud's photos for their song "Bullet in the Head." These photos had strong messages about politics and society. One picture showed American schoolchildren saying a pledge to the flag. The other showed a young boy, possibly Vietnamese, pointing a pistol while soldiers stood nearby. It's not clear if the gun was real or a toy.
Marriage and Family Life
In 1961, Marc Riboud married an American artist named Barbara Chase-Riboud. She was a sculptor and lived in Paris. They had two children together. Barbara later became well known for her novel, Sally Hemings. Marc and Barbara divorced before 1981. Later, Marc Riboud married Catherine Chaine, who was a journalist and writer.
Marc Riboud passed away in Paris on August 30, 2016. He was 93 years old.
Exhibitions
Marc Riboud's photographs have been shown in many art galleries and museums around the world. Here are a few examples:
- 1958 Photographs From The Museum Collection (Museum of Modern Art, New York)
- 1963 Marc Riboud (The Art Institute, Chicago)
- 1966 China (Institute of Contemporary Art, London)
- 1975 Against the Odds by Marc Riboud (International Center of Photography, NY)
- 1985 Rétrospective (Musée d'Art moderne de la Ville, Paris)
- 1996 China, Travelling Exhibition (Centre National de Photographie, Paris – Barbican, London – International Center of Photography, NY)
- 2004 Rétrospective (Maison européenne de la Photographie, Paris)
- 2009 Marc Riboud. L'Instinct de l'instant. 50 Years of Photography (Musée de la Vie romantique, Paris)
See also
In Spanish: Marc Riboud para niños
