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All auctions / Photographs / Alberto Korda (1928–2001) - El Guerrillero Heroico
Alberto Korda. Important note: * This photograph was printed by the same Alberto Korda from the original negative. This can be clearly observed by the quality of the contrasts seen in the black of the beret and other areas of the image. Later copies never had such quality, and the negative deteriorated, causing a bright line to appear on the beret that is not present here because this image is from before that later deterioration of the original negative. 1. What the image shows One of the most iconic photographs of the 20th century is offered: “El Guerrillero Heroico,” the immortal portrait of Ernesto “Che” Guevara taken by Alberto Korda on March 5, 1960 in Havana, Cuba. This vintage original photograph, gelatin silver print, shows the Che with a firm expression, gaze to the horizon, hair blown by the wind, and a beret with a star, in an image that became a universal symbol of resistance, rebellion, and revolution. The copy presented here bears Korda’s original wet stamp on the reverse, an element that authenticates it as a work printed during the author’s lifetime. 2. Historical context The image was taken during the funeral for the victims of the Le Coubre ship explosion, in Havana. Korda, the official photographer of the newspaper Revolución, captured the exact moment when the Che, in silence, observed the ceremony with absolute intensity. Although it was not published in the press at that time, the photograph gained international fame starting in 1967, after Che Guevara’s death in Bolivia, when it was reproduced and distributed worldwide as a symbol of struggle and revolutionary utopia. 3. Technical characteristics of the photograph Author: Alberto Korda (1928–2001) Title: “El Guerrillero Heroico” Type: Original vintage photograph (period print), gelatin silver print Dimensions: 25 × 20 cm Reverse: Includes the original Korda wet stamp – Havana, Cuba, used by the author in the 1960s. 4. Historical and collectible value This is an authentic vintage print, not a later reproduction or facsimile. The wet stamp of Alberto Korda on the reverse guarantees its origin and places it within the circle close to the author himself. An essential work in any collection of historical photography, political art, Che Guevara iconography, or Cuban Revolution. A unique opportunity to acquire this image which rarely goes on sale. In some descriptions we include biographies of the photographer, photos of the galleries where they were exhibited, and perhaps books where the photograph you are buying may appear; all these extra images in the description are purely descriptive and do not accompany the article. Do not miss the chance to acquire a special piece about the history of photography in Cuba. * The package will be sent with special reinforcement, by express courier, and insured. Photographer’s biography: KORDA, Alberto (Havana, September 14, 1928–Paris, May 25, 2001). Advertising photographer and photojournalist. Artist’s name of Alberto Díaz Gutiérrez. He is considered the best-known Cuban photographer internationally. Pioneer of fashion photography in Cuba, together with his partner Luis Pierce and the model Natalia Magali Méndez Ramírez (Norka), who was his wife. In the 1940s he studied commercial subjects at Candler College and at Habana Business Academy, both in Havana. He founded Korda Studios (1954–1968) with Luis Pierce (Luis Korda), where they carried out all kinds of commercial work. He learned the photographic art first with Newton Estapé and then with Luis Pierce. From 1959 he worked for the newspaper Revolución and accompanied Fidel Castro as a photographer on various trips, both inside and outside the country. In 1960 he produced the portrait El Guerrillero Heroico (Ernesto “Che” Guevara), considered by critics as one of the ten best photographic portraits of all time and the most reproduced photograph in the history of global photography. He was a pioneer of underwater photography in Cuba, when in 1968 he dedicated himself to it at the Institute of Oceanology of the Academy of Sciences to produce the Atlas of Cuban corals (1969–1981), together with photographers Mario Oliva Solís, Rosendo Aguiar, and Alfredo Martínez. His work has been exhibited in major galleries in Europe, Asia, and America. He has published several books with his photographic work, including the official book of Pope John Paul II’s visit to Cuba, published in Italy; Korda in his seventies, from 1998; Alberto Korda, from 1999, published in Norway; Momenti della storia, 1988, published in Italy; Fidel, from the Barbudos series (together with Corrales and Salas), 1996; Cuba: la fotógrafa de los años 60 (1988). In addition, his work is included in catalogs and books on the history of Latin American photography. In his long career he has received numerous awards and distinctions such as: Order of Cultural Merit (1982, Cuba); Félix Varela First Class Order (1994, Cuba); Olorum Cubano prize, corresponding to 1998, from the Cubafoto Cultural Project (FCIF); third prize in the 5th Mauricio Sana International Underwater Photography Prize (1979, Italy); First Prize Historical Photo of the Revolución y Cultura magazine; X National Salon 26 de Julio (1980, Cuba), among others. His work is present in museums and galleries around the world. Note: The photographs in the description show the state of the photo on auction; if you have any doubts, request more information before purchasing. #merchantforbearance
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