Recipient of the French Montblanc de la Culture Arts Patronage Award 2010 Martine Franck and Michel Adé
The Montblanc Cultural Foundation awarded Martine Franck, distinguished photographer and last wife of Henri Cartier-Bresson, with the French Montblanc de la Culture Arts Patronage Award 2010.
She has been honoured in recognition of her lifelong support of the art of photography, which culminated in 2002 with the creation of the Henri Cartier-Bresson Foundation. The ceremony took place on June 1, 2010 at the Henri Cartier-Bresson Foundation in Paris in the presence of socialites and journalists of Art and Lifestyle, VIP’s and Friends of the Brand.
About the winner Martine Franck and the Henri Cartier-Bresson Foundation
This year’s French Montblanc de la Culture Arts Patronage Award Martine Franck is a very distinguished photographer and was the last wife of Henri Cartier-Bresson – one of the most accomplished and influential figures of photography in the 20th century.
The motivation to keep alive the spirit and legacy of Henri Cartier-Bresson’s work led Martine Franck to create the Henri Cartier-Bresson Foundation in 2002. The foundation’s focus is not only to preserve the master’s heritage for future generations and organiser of exhibitions; thanks to the energy and imagination of Martine Franck it has also developed an important role in 21st century photography as well.
In addition to its programme of Cartier-Bresson exhibitions and seminars, the Foundation hosts an extensive and highly respected programme of arts related events, bringing together painter, sculptors, photographer and their audiences to address a wide ranging agenda of arts and society related topics. The foundation also presents the biennial Henri Cartier-Bresson International Award to an outstanding professional photographer, worth € 30, 000.
About the Montblanc de la Culture Arts Patronage Award
In 1992, Montblanc established the Foundation d’Enterprise Montblanc de la Culture to support and honour modern-day patrons of the arts who devoted their time, energy and money in order to encourage cultural life to flourish.
Each year the Montblanc de la Culture Arts Patronage Award recognises and celebrates the work of outstanding private patrons of the arts in 10 countries around the world. To be chosen, a patron has to demonstrate both, commitment to the arts but also the aim that the wider public should benefit as a result of that support. Previous French Award winners included M. Gilles de Navacelle (2009), Guillaume Houzé (2008) and Agnes b (2007).
