Alberto Korda (1928–2001) - Fidel Castro observando...

Extraordinary auction: “Cuba: The Women of Korda”. An unprecedented look: the Cuban woman through Korda’s lens For the first time, a thematic auction dedicated entirely to the women photographed by Alberto Korda, one of the great masters of Cuban and universal photography, is presented on Catawiki. ** Description of this photograph in particular : Militia women’s military exercises with Fidel Castro’s portrait in the foreground. Alberto Korda captures in this image the strength and dignity of women in the new Cuba, transformed into a symbol of independence and commitment. The composition, illuminated by the Caribbean sun, combines energy, beauty and discipline in one of his most iconic scenes of the revolutionary era. * These images —coming directly from his personal archive and certified by his daughter and heir, Diana Díaz López— reveal a less known, but deeply revealing facet of his work: Korda’s gaze toward Cuban femininity, from the 1950s until his death. The combination among: • The direct provenance from the author’s archive. • The personal and legal certification of Diana Díaz. • The image quality, aesthetics and historical value of each photograph. Transforms these pieces into collection items of the highest cultural and monetary value, whose prestige and appraisal will only increase with time. Before becoming the visual chronicler of the Revolution, Alberto Korda was a fashion and advertising photographer. In his Havana studio, he photographed models, actresses and women of high society, capturing the tropical elegance, sensuality and feminine sophistication of the pre-revolutionary era. His mastery of natural light, clean framing and empathy with his subjects defined a modern, elegant style that would soon transcend the commercial sphere. With the revolutionary triumph of 1959, Korda did not abandon that aesthetic sensibility, but transformed it. From then on, the woman became for him a symbol of dignity, work, motherhood and struggle. His camera recorded militiamen armed with steadiness and serenity, girls with eyes full of the future, mothers with children in their arms, workers and students, always with a deeply humanist, respectful and luminous vision. These photographs not only document a era; they are portraits of female strength and beauty in all their dimensions. In them, the Cuban woman appears as a silent protagonist of a transforming society, and as the muse of an artist who knew how to see in her face the essence of change. * Original copies from Korda’s personal archive. Authenticity and provenance guaranteed Each photograph offered in this auction comes directly from Alberto Korda’s personal archive. They are made from original negatives, preserving the tonal richness and depth characteristic of his work. The Certificate of Authenticity signed by Diana Díaz López — THE ONLY person legally recognized and authorized to authenticate her father’s works — constitutes an absolute guarantee of legitimacy. Diana Díaz López has been, for decades, the custodian of her father’s personal archive, and her work as guardian of that legacy has been recognized both in Cuba and internationally. No other person in the world has the legal authority to issue COAs for Alberto Korda’s works. Therefore, acquiring a photograph with her certifying signature ensures a direct and legitimate link to the author, his original archive and his family history. In the art market, this legitimacy is more than a guarantee: it is a safe investment, a seal of exclusivity and protection against the proliferation of apocryphal copies or unverified prints circulating without support. It is important to note that copies made in later years lost much of the original quality, as the negatives deteriorated over time. The photographs included in this auction therefore preserve an intensity and tone purity that are unreproducible. Alberto Korda and the Cuban woman: beauty, strength and sensitivity. Alberto Díaz Gutiérrez, known as Alberto Korda (1928–2001), was an artist with a refined, deeply humane gaze. His early photographs, made in the 1950s, were portraits of elegant women, models and actresses of Havana’s thriving pre-revolutionary scene. Korda mastered advertising aesthetics, glamour and classical composition, in images that today are considered pioneers of fashion photography in Latin America. After 1959, his lens turned to the women of the people, without losing the delicacy of his initial gaze. He portrayed militiamen with rifles on their shoulders, nurses, peasants, teachers and mothers, and also schoolgirls and girls from humble neighborhoods, all under one vision: the woman as the vital force of the Cuban nation. Korda transformed the image of the woman in Cuba: she was no longer an aesthetic object, but a symbol of dignity and protagonism. His style, combining beauty, empathy and sobriety, created a visual narrative in which femininity was also resilience, tenderness and hope. This sensibility, beyond politics, makes Korda one of the most important female portraitists in Latin America and a photographer who knew how to see the soul behind the face. Note: Some descriptions are accompanied by illustrations from books about this image; the books shown are not included with the photograph for sale. The illustrative portraits by photographer Alberto Korda are also not included in the sale nor other illustrative photographs. Important: The photographs will be shipped well protected so that they reach their recipient in perfect condition.

Estimate:$1,120.44

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