Full title: Le Roi Soleil (Porte de Saint-Ouen). Graffiti. Sèrie IX: "Images Primitives"

The signature image from the legendary "Graffiti" series Brassai photographed on the streets of Paris from 1930 to the mid-1950s. This French-based photographer, journalist and writer of Hungarian origins captured the nocturnal, secret Paris of the thirties during the heyday of Surrealism. The magazine Minotaure published his photographs for the first time, along with a text on graffiti, in a December/January double issue (1933-1944). For years, Brassaï carried small notebooks which he made quick sketches of graffiti and recorded their location in order to photograph them under better lighting conditions or to see how they evolved.

This image taken between 1945 and 1950, printed c.1960. With photographer "81 Rue du Faub - St Jacques" stamp, handwritten copyright and negative number A-1592 verso.

Matted and in a 15" x 17" black wooden frame with auction labels on back board.