DE

MIDDEL

Interior

Fine Arts

Inks with soul

fashion

atelier

DE

MIDDEL

ROBERT DOISNEAU

The Boxwood Carver, Vintage gelatin silver print

£1,300

This vintage gelatin silver print, measuring 18.2 x 24.5 cm, features a tight composition focused on the hands of a woodworker. The work utilizes a shallow depth of field to emphasize the texture of the boxwood and the precision of the carving tool. The reverse of the photograph bears the authentic collection stamp of Robert Giraud, a central figure in the Parisian post-war literary and artistic scene.

This specific print represents the “humanist” methodology where Robert Doisneau moved beyond street scenes to document the vanishing world of French craftsmanship. The provenance is particularly significant; Robert Giraud was not just a collector but Doisneau’s primary guide through the “Paris noir,” and items from his collection are often prints the artist personally selected or gifted. Technically, the 18.2 x 24.5 cm format and the silver gelatin chemistry offer a tonal range and “materiality” that modern reproductions cannot replicate, making it a primary historical document of both the subject and the artist’s mid-century aesthetic.

Product Type: Vintage gelatin silver photographic print
Artist: Robert Doisneau
Medium: Silver gelatin print on photographic paper
Dimensions: 18.2 × 24.5 cm
Subject: Close study of a woodworker’s hands, emphasizing craft, texture, and tool precision
Provenance: From the Robert Giraud collection; verso stamped with authentic collection mark