The Legendary Photographer Peter Lindbergh Has Died
Peter Lindbergh, the German fashion photographer, died yesterday. He was 74. His official Instagram account announced the news today: “It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Peter Lindbergh on September 3rd 2019, at the age of 74,” the post reads. “He is survived by his wife Petra, his first wife Astrid, his four sons Benjamin, Jeremy, Simon, Joseph, and seven grandchildren. He leaves a big void.”
Lindbergh might be described as the gentle giant of his field: His talent was enormous, but he never called attention to himself, keeping the focus on his subject. He was a proponent of “natural beauty,” preferring not to retouch his images, as was the industry norm. He also liked to shoot outdoors. One of his most famous photographs appeared in Vogue in 1988, four years after he started working with the magazine. Shot in black-and-white, it shows six supermodels in white shirts playing on a beach, smiling, laughing, comfortable in their skin. It’s pure Lindbergh. But then so is “Wild at Heart,” his ball gowns and moto jacket shoot of 1991.
It was Lindbergh who was behind the lens for Anna Wintour’s needle moving high-low first cover for November 1988: Michaela Berçu in a Christian Lacroix couture sweater and faded blue jeans. There was a sense of ease in Lindbergh’s work, the kind that’s achieved through complete mastery of one’s art, a sure sense of self, and a warm and open heart. “How devastating to learn that we have lost Peter, a generous, lovely bear of a man, who as much as any photographer, defined how we see fashion in our modern era,“ Wintour said. “His shoots for Vogue, many with Grace Coddington at his side, are among the most iconic that the magazine has ever produced. What I loved most about his work was how empowering it was, how he believed in evoking strength and self-assuredness in women, and capturing their natural beauty without adornment. There was no one quite like him, and he will be dearly missed.“
Originally Appeared on Vogue
