Brassaï (French: [bʁasaj]; pseudonym of Gyula Halász; 9 September 1899 – 8 July 1984) was a Hungarian–French photographer, sculptor, medalist,[1] writer, and filmmaker who rose to international fame in France in the 20th century.

In the early 21st century, the discovery of more than 200 letters and hundreds of drawings and other items from the period 1940 to 1984 has provided scholars with material for understanding his later life and career.

Brassaï (pseudonym), was born on 9 September 1899 in Brassó, Kingdom of Hungary (today Brașov, Romania) to an Armenian mother and a Hungarian father.

As a young man, he studied painting and sculpture at the Hungarian Academy of Fine Arts (Magyar Képzőművészeti Egyetem) in Budapest.

[2] Following WWI, his hometown of Brassó, and the rest of Transylvania, was transferred from the Kingdom of Hungary to Romania at the Treaty of Trianon.

He first used it to supplement some of his articles for more money, but rapidly explored the city through this medium, in which he was tutored by his fellow Hungarian André Kertész.

In addition to photos of the seedier side of Paris, Brassai portrayed scenes from the life of the city's high society, its intellectuals, its ballet, and the grand operas.

Brassaï continued to earn a living with commercial work, also taking photographs for the U.S. magazine Harper's Bazaar.

[10] Brassaï died on 8 July 1984 at his home on the French Riviera near Nice and was buried at Montparnasse Cemetery in Paris.