24-05-2025
Sebastiao Salgado, photographer of the extraordinary, has died at 81
Until Sebastiao Salgado, many believed Edward Steichen's 1955 exhibition "The Family of Man"– a unifying portrait of humanity – would forever remain the world's most popular photography show, with its 10 million visitors. But the Franco-Brazilian photography superstar eventually surpassed his predecessor with "Genesis," a black-and-white ode to the untouched beauty of the planet before human destruction: graceful penguins and impenetrable forests – a show that has toured the globe for over 12 years. In fact, both projects share a universal vision and much in common.
With the death of Salgado on Friday, May 23, from leukemia, one of the last heirs to humanist photography passed away. Throughout his life, he sought to condemn social and environmental injustices, while celebrating faith in humanity through sweeping global photographic narratives. "I simply want those who look at my photos to feel that people are noble everywhere," he told Le Monde.
