Eiffel Towers in Snow Globes (Les Tour Eiffel dans les boules neigeuses)

A pioneering photojournalist, Robert Doisneau is known for documenting life in Paris with affection and humor. A series of books based on his images—The Suburbs of Paris, The Children of Paris, and The Magic of Paris, among others—appeared during the early postwar era. In the context of his lengthy project, Doisneau photographed the Eiffel Tower from a myriad of angles. While the tower had long interested artists as an icon of modernity, Doisneau’ s take was less lofty. Rather than focus on the novel perspectives and abstract forms afforded by its iconic architectural design, he often framed the landmark within a humanistic context. Here, he employed an avant–garde perspective but recast the tower as kitsch, portraying an endless production line of trinkets for the Parisian tourist industry.