Marie-Laure de Decker, who passed away in 2023 at the age of 75, was one of the greatest photographers of the 20th century. Despite her remarkable career covering numerous conflicts and photographing major figures of the century, including artists and politicians, she remains notably absent from most photography anthologies.
The renowned photographer spent her later years in her home in Rabastens, in the Tarn region of southern France, where she was photographed in April 2013. Throughout her distinguished career, de Decker documented some of the most significant events and personalities of her era, establishing herself as a formidable presence in the world of photojournalism.
De Decker's work spanned decades and continents as she fearlessly covered major conflicts around the world. Her lens captured not only the brutality of war but also intimate moments with some of the most influential cultural and political figures of the 20th century. Her photographs serve as historical documents that provide unique insights into pivotal moments in modern history.
Despite her significant contributions to photography and photojournalism, de Decker's work has been largely overlooked in major photography collections and retrospectives. This absence from mainstream photography anthologies represents a notable gap in the recognition of her artistic and journalistic achievements, highlighting ongoing issues of representation in the documentation of photographic history.
The exploration of de Decker's extensive archives reveals the breadth and depth of her work, offering a comprehensive view of her artistic vision and professional dedication. Her photographs stand as testimony to her skill in capturing both the grand sweep of historical events and the intimate human moments within them, cementing her legacy as one of the century's most important yet underrecognized visual storytellers.
