To mark the opening of the completely renovated Jewish
Historical Museum on 23 February, the museum presents a
retrospective exhibition of work by the legendary war photographer
Robert Capa on the ground floor of the New Synagogue. In addition,
a presentation of previously unknown and unpublished photos by Eva
Besnyö can also be seen in the new Print Room. Capa and Besnyö, two
major photographic innovators, both of Hungarian Jewish descent,
lived as children on the same street in Budapest and remained
friends for life. This is the first time that their photos are
presented simultaneously.
Robert Capa. Retrospective
This exhibition offers a survey of the work of Robert Capa
(1913-1954), a founder of modern photojournalism. His photos of the
Spanish Civil War and D-Day are etched in everyone's memory and
have shaped our image of twentieth-century history. Capa was
commissioned by leading illustrated magazines to cover all the
major conflicts of his day. In 1938 Britain's Picture Post
acclaimed him 'the greatest war photographer in the world'. As well
as photographing frontline fighting, Capa also had an unparalleled
eye for the destructive effect of war on the lives of ordinary
people. He regarded his photos as a weapon in the struggle against
injustice and oppression. As he remarked, 'The war photographer's
most fervent wish is for unemployment.'
The exhibition presents two previously unpublished reportages that
Capa made in the Netherlands: one showing photos taken in 1945 of a
family in Amsterdam made destitute by the war, and one featuring
photos of the Dutch royal family taken in 1951. In addition the
museum presents the documentary Robert Capa: In Love and
War (2003, Anne Makepeace) and an interview with Eva Besnyö
about Robert Capa. Magnum Photos compiled the exhibition.
Eva Besnyö. Unknown Photos
Work by Eva Besnyö (1910-2003) has featured in countless
publications and exhibitions. Yet after her death many still
unknown and previously unpublished photos were discovered in her
archive. This Jewish Historical Museum exhibition presents a
selection of these photos, underscoring Eva Besnyö's reputation as
one of the country's greatest photographers. The show includes work
from her early years in Hungary, portraits made in the 1930s in
Berlin and Amsterdam, photos of postwar reconstruction in the
Netherlands and a series of portraits made in the 1940s and 50s of
Dutch artists, writers and actors (including Mary Dresselhuys, Leo
Vroman and Otto Treumann). The show also includes the first
presentation of colour photos by Besnyö. The exhibition was
compiled jointly the Maria Austria Institute (MAI) and Uitgeverij
Voetnoot, publishers of the accompanying catalogue, Eva
Besnyö.
For visual material and
additional information contact the communications department.
T 020-5310370
F 020-5310311
E communications
department