"A picture is worth a thousand words." It may be an age-old adage, but it rings just as true today as it did when Magnum Photos was founded in 1947. Originally an artists' cooperative formed by Henri Cartier-Bresson, Robert Capa, David "Chim" Seymour and George Rodger, the photographic agency has become renowned for its deep understanding of the power of images to inform, inspire and tell a story.
This central tenet forms the basis of the Square Print Project, in which current Magnum photographers have responded to the theme "Conditions of the Heart" with an image and accompanying text. This exploration of the connection between the taker of an image and their subject is inspired by Seymour's own famous works, which engaged with the human impact of World War II.
Images from such names as Steve McCurry, Robert Capa and Bruce Davidson are available to purchase online, with each six-inch by six-inch print signed by the photographer or, if this is not possible, stamped by the photographer's official estate. In the gallery above, we preview a selection of the featured images, alongside the photographer's personal response.
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Magnum's Conditions of the Heart: On Empathy and Connection in Photography square-print sale closes on Friday 4 November 2016 at 10pm GMT. Signed and estate-stamped, museum-quality six-inch by six-inch prints from more than 70 artists are available from shop.magnumphotos.com
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