Rattle off the greatest names of the 20th century and there's a good chance that, at some point in their careers, they were photographed by Yousuf Karsh—including a perturbed Winston Churchill in 1941, from whose lips Karsh had just taken a cigar. That image launched Karsh’s successful career in exquisite black-and-white portrait photography and eventually landed on the cover of Life magazine.
Karsh photographed Pablo Picasso at his gallery in France (1948), Martha Graham in her New York City apartment (1948), Hemingway in Cuba and Carl Jung in his Zurich library (1958). His 1988 portrait of Mother Teresa shows the lifelong toughness in determination to help others, and his 1945 image of Marian Anderson in her Connecticut home shows the opera singer’s grace and strength. Then there is the shot of Helen Keller and Polly Thompson later in life, side by side, hands touching, an image that powerfully captures an intimate moment in their friendship. Queen Elizabeth II. Humphrey Bogart. Fidel Castro. Albert Einstein. Jackie Kennedy. Grace Kelly. The list goes on. The photos are serious and elegant, tapping into power, humility, courage and, in some cases, affection.
Today the Bellagio Gallery of Fine Art announced that it will pull from this amazing collection of iconic personalities with Yousuf Karsh: Icons of the 20th Century, opening March 18. The exhibit, which follows Picasso: Creatures and Creativity (closing February 14), allows viewers to get “up close and personal with some of the world’s most famous figures,” says BGFA gallery director Tarissa Tiberti. Fortunately for us, it’s something Karsh did on a regular basis.
Yousuf Karsh: Icons of the 20th Century Through September 5; daily 10 a.m.–8 p.m, $14-$16. Bellagio Gallery of Fine Art, 702-693-7871.