The human comedy of Elliott Erwitt

Elliott Erwitt (1928-2023) left us last year when he was already looking back on a century of a life in which he became one of the most observant artists of the people who crossed his path. They are the main protagonists of the 135 vintage prints of some of his best-known snapshots. Of these, 122 are small-format prints, often referred to as "working prints", as they were used by the author for the development of books and magazines. Alongside these, the exhibition is completed by 13 large-format prints, a selection of his most iconic photographs, whose purpose was precisely to be exhibited in museums and galleries.  

Curated by Andrea Holzherr, these "masterpieces", as Erwitt himself called them, together with the "working prints" make up a unique collection of original material at the headquarters of the Canal Foundation in Madrid, which comes directly from the artist's studio and which is presented to the public for the first time in this way in this exhibition, which will be on display until mid-August.  

As Holzherr states, "it is a celebration of the human spirit and a testament to the sublime that can be found in the moments of everyday life". Indeed, Erwitt possessed a unique ability to capture the essence of people, using both heart and wit. His work is a visual anthology of human experience, characterised by a distinctive approach that goes beyond mere documentation, thanks to his ability to infuse his compositions with humour without sacrificing sincerity. He found that humour in the human condition, so that he was able to create images that transcend cultural boundaries and speak of the shared experience of finding joy in the comic moments of life.  

He also finds that humour in his animal snapshots, in which he captures the relationship between humans and other critters of different species, but always finding complementary tenderness and insight.  

Those who knew him note that he was a passionate observer of the human condition, which he discovered "like birdwatchers", alluding to his patience enough to wait for rare species to cross his path. "He had a remarkable gift for finding the extraordinary in the ordinary, whether it was a fleeting expression, an amusing composition, or a poignant moment of connection between people".  

Equally passionate about museums, Elliott Erwitt would spend hours and days wandering through them, drawn to them because they "provide irresistible visual displays of science, history, painting and sculpture in buildings that are themselves works of art".  

It should also be noted that a particularity of his photographs is also the frequent use of unusual points of view, whether from the perspective of a child or even an animal, in order to confront the viewer with an unexpected view of the world.