Magnum Poster: Playing altinha. Ipanema beach, Brazil, 1958 Rene Burri

Description

René Burri learned how to capture aesthetically pure, artfully composed and illuminated objects – in characteristically Swiss style – at the Zurich School of Art and Design, where he was taught by none other than Hans Fisler, the supreme master of subtle gray tones. The artistic climate of the early 1950s was remarkably conducive to this austere style that Burri would eventually come to perfect and make his own. Making numerous trips to Brazil over the years, Burri built up a comprehensive portrait of Rio de Janeiro, which captures its iconic coastline, vibrant nightlife and some of the city’s most famous buildings. Pictured here, beachgoers play a game of altinha on Ipanema beach.