Photographer Peter Lindbergh Dies at 74

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Photographer Peter Lindbergh, known for the Pirelli calendar, campaigns for Dior and Vuitton and fashion shoots for Vogue, died Tuesday at age 74.

His passing was announced on his official instagram account, which counts 1.3 million followers. The cause of death was not disclosed.

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“He is survived by his wife Petra, his first wife Astrid, his four sons Benjamin, Jérémy, Simon, Joseph and seven grandchildren,” the post noted.

He shot the September cover of British Vogue, guest edited by the Duchess of Sussex.

Lindbergh was synonymous with the supermodel era in fashion and one of his most famous pictures — shot in 1988 for Vogue — captured Estelle Léfebure, Karen Alexander, Rachel Williams, Linda Evangelista, Tatjana Patitz and Christy Turlington on the Santa Monica beach wearing only simple, white shirts.

“Heartbroken. R.I.P. my Peet,” Evangelista wrote on Instagram alongside a behind the scenes image of herself and Lindbergh.

Model Diane Kruger also shared a behind the scenes image of herself on set alongside the caption, “We collaborated many times over the years and he’s taken some of my favorite portraits. He was full of life, always enthusiastic and had an easy smile on his face. He loved women and created some of the most iconic images of our time. Adieu Peter, it was great knowing you,” she wrote.

He favoured natural, candid photos in black and white, and shot campaigns for a vast array of fashion houses, including Giorgio Armani and David Yurman.

He was the only photographer to shoot the Pirelli calendar three times, in 1996, 2002 and 2017.

Speaking to WWD about the 2017 edition, Lindbergh, who is known for his cinematic shooting style, said he wanted to portray his subjects through a more natural lens that he says goes against media’s current obsession with retouching.

“The idea of beauty today is a bloody mess. It’s really awful,” he said. “You look in the fashion magazines and see all of these retouched people. Some guys called retouchers go on the computer and take away everything that you are and then call it photography. I think it’s such an insult.”

“For me, every picture is a portrait — no matter what I’m doing. From my very old standpoint, I think everything you do should have a meaning,” he said during another interview. “The idea [that] it doesn’t is unacceptable to me.”

Photographer Nick Knight wrote on Instagram to pay tribute to Lindbergh’s work. “Very sad to hear of the death of the great and soulful photographer Peter Lindbergh. My condolences to his family, nearest and dearest and all the many who loved him. The humanity and beauty he saw in people will live on through his work forever,” Knight said.

See Also:

Through the Lens of Peter Lindbergh

Peter Lindbergh Talks Projects

Peter Lindbergh Photo Exhibition Opens in Italy

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