J.H. Lartigue was born into a wealthy
French family imbued with a joie de vivre that proved to be an
infinitely rich source of visual material. The young Lartigue was presented
with his first camera at the age of six. Blessed with a keen intuitive eye, he
photographed prodigiously while growing up. Though eventually schooled as a
painter, he never relinquished his love of the photographic medium he learned
to use only through practical experience. His photographs teem with life, and
they continue to charm with their abundant grace and joy.

This unassuming portrait of Lartigue's
parents, photographed when he was only eight years old with the camera held at
a child's vantage point, is emblematic of experiences shared by everyone, and
thus it attains a universal appeal.