Robert Doisneau: the poet photographer in Castelfiorentino

You know that Paris you see in films, where it always rains at just the right moment, the cafés are filled with whispered conversations and the streets seem to have been made for strolling? Well, Robert Doisneau really did photograph that Paris, and now you can see it with your own eyes in an exhibition in Castelfiorentino.

‘Robert Doisneau, the poet photographer’, from 4 October 2025 to 6 January 2026 (and again, from 7 February to 26 September 2026) in a double opportunity not to be missed.

Robert Doisneau, Le baiser de l’hotel de ville. Paris, 1950

Robert Doisneau: black and white Paris on display

Yes, you read that right: two seasons to fall in love (or fall back in love) with Paris through his photographs.

Produced by Opera Laboratori and curated by Patrick Ansellem together with Atelier Doisneau, this exhibition welcomes you with over 90 large-format photographs. Black and white images that seem to speak, suspended between the sweet nostalgia of a lost time and the eternal vitality of everyday life.

You won’t just find the Eiffel Tower or bouquinistes on the Seine: there are children playing in the streets, lovers kissing without shame, hands brushing against each other on the tables of a bistro. This is real life and this is Paris, the real Paris, with its hidden corners, stolen smiles and poetry hidden in the details.

Doisneau knew how to look, but above all, he knew how to see. In his shots, Parisians become the absolute protagonists, ironic, melancholic, tender or a little cheeky, telling stories that you feel you have always known.

Each photo is a small explosion of humanity, a “I see you” said with light and shadow, with the contours of a face and the blurred movement of a hand.

He did not limit himself to photographing ordinary people, Doisneau also portrayed faces that made the history of 20th-century culture: Jacques Prévert, Blaise Cendrars, Alberto Moravia, Pablo Picasso. Even in these shots, his approach remains the same. There are no stiff poses or contrived expressions. There is always that enchanted naturalness that has become the poetic hallmark of all his work.

Through his lens, every artist seems more human, closer, as if they were sitting at the table next to you. And so, what might seem like a series of famous portraits becomes an intimate conversation between art, photography and real life.

Why visit the exhibition

Visiting this exhibition is not just about seeing beautiful photographs, but about enjoying an exciting experience, where each image tells a story that you may have experienced yourself.

You will feel as if you are really walking through the streets of Paris on a grey day in the middle of the century, with the music of an accordionist coming from afar.

You may even feel a little like the protagonist, because in his shots, Doisneau not only tells us about Paris, but also about ourselves.

Ready to embark on this black and white journey?

Robert Doisneau, La Dame Indignee, 1948

Information about the exhibition

Hurry up and get your tickets (available online or through the exhibition’s official channels).

Robert Doisneau – The Poet Photographer
Curated by Patrick Ansellem and Atelier Doisneau
CAMBIO CULTURAL CENTRE
Via Giacomo Matteotti, 18, Castelfiorentino, FI

First session: from 4 October 2025 to 6 January 2026
Second session: from 7 February to 26 September 2026

Robert Doisneau. The poet photographer is the exhibition to see if you love photography, but also if you love life. Especially the life made up of little things. The life that often goes unnoticed, but which he – with his camera – was able to transform into poetry.