If forced to make a decision I would probably choose Cartier-Bresson.
Although he didn't invent the field he brought it to a state of almost
perfection. He went beyond the fascination with the ordinary,
which I think was a hallmark of his predecessors and occasionally
looked like twee 'genre' painting, and brought that type of
photography into the mainstream of 20th century art by revealing a
world beyond the ordinary. He very clearly continues the traditions of
late 19th century art and thought, but, like the other main figures in
the art of the pre-war years, radically changed that tradition and changed
completely and forever the way we see the world. He is the only photographer
who has ever been an artist of the first rank.
Amen to that. I agree with every word.
John
-- Using M2, Opera's revolutionary e-mail client: http://www.opera.com/m2/
