"My way of life, my very being is based on images capable of engraving themselves indelibly in our inner soul's eye."
Louis Stettner
Over the course of his seven-decade career, Louis Stettner created a singular approach to photographing everyday life. He developed a unique point of view that melded the boldness of American street photography with the humanist photography more characteristic of his Paris contemporaries. He travelled between New York and Paris – his “two loves,” as he called them – constantly finding new inspiration in that geographical duality.
Born in Brooklyn in 1922, Stettner began photographing as a teenager. He served as a combat photographer in the US Army during World War II before returning to New York and later spending several formative years in Paris. In the early 1950s, he worked as a photojournalist for publications including Life, Time and Paris Match, while continuing to pursue his independent photographic work. He also wrote about photography and later taught at institutions including Cooper Union and Long Island University.
Stettners contributions to the art world were recognised with prestigious awards, including the Chevalier de l’ordre des Arts et des Lettres from the French government in 2001. Louis Stettner’s legacy lives on through his iconic photographs and his enduring influence on generations of photographers. In 2025, a major retrospective titled The World of Louis Stettner (1922–2016), curated by Virginie Chardin, was held at the Espace Van Gogh during Les Rencontres d’Arles.