Lot 172
Alberto Korda (Cuban, 1928-2001). "El Quijote de la Farola (Don Quixote of the Lamp Post)" gelatin silver print, photographed in 1959, printed in 1980. Hand-signed at lower right. A stirring photograph by Cuban photographer Alberto Korda, who became known for photographing Che Guevara. A man within the vast crowd climbed to the top of the lamppost to get a better view of Fidel Castro making a speech. Korda made El Quijote de la Farola on July 26, 1959 at Revolution Square in Havana when a crowd of over 500,000 farmers came from the countryside to hear a speech by Castro, who recently became Prime Minister. Here Korda captured the density of the crowd and features a spectator who perched atop a lamp post to gain a better view over the masses. In the title, Korda references the idealistic character from the classic novel Don Quixote. Size of image: 16" L x 14" W (40.6 cm x 35.6 cm); of frame: 23" W x 25.5" H (58.4 cm x 64.8 cm)
About the artist: "Alberto Diaz Gutierrez Korda (Cuban, September 19, 1928 - May 25, 2001) is considered to be the man who made Ernesto 'Che' Guevara an icon. His image of Che became one of the most famous pictures of the 20th century. Born in Havana as the son of a railway worker, the young Korda had a variety of jobs before he started working as a photographer's assistant. It was while on an assignment for Revolucion newspaper in 1960 that Korda took the famous photo of Guevara at a protest rally, after a Belgian freighter, carrying arms to Cuba, was blown up by counterrevolutionaries while being unloaded in Havana harbor, killing more than 100 dock workers. As he later recalled, Korda was panning his lens across the figures on the dais when Guevara's face jumped into the viewfinder. The look in Guevara's eyes startled Korda so much that he instinctively captured it. Korda spent 10 years as Fidel Castro's official photographer. During this time, he used his skills to humanize the revolutionary leader's image in off-duty scenes, shared moments with Ernest Hemingway and Jean-Paul Sartre, and confronted a caged tiger at the New York Zoo." (Artnet)
Provenance: private D. C. collection, Hollywood, California; D. C. is an Emmy Award winning Hollywood writer and Executive Producer, collected before 2000.
All items legal to buy/sell under U.S. Statute covering cultural patrimony Code 2600, CHAPTER 14, and are guaranteed to be as described or your money back.
A Certificate of Authenticity will accompany all winning bids.
We ship worldwide and handle all shipping in-house for your convenience.
#189435
- Condition: Hand-signed at lower right. Set behind glass in custom matte and frame; has not been examined outside of glass. Small tear to right side that doesn't affect image. Suspension wire on verso for display.
Accepted Forms of Payment:
American Express, Discover, MasterCard, Visa
Shipping
Auction House will ship, at Buyer's expense
Artemis Fine Arts
You agree to pay a buyer's premium of 27.5% and any applicable taxes and shipping.
View full terms and conditions
| From: | To: | Increments: |
|---|---|---|
| $0 | $299 | $25 |
| $300 | $999 | $50 |
| $1,000 | $1,999 | $100 |
| $2,000 | $4,999 | $250 |
| $5,000 | $9,999 | $500 |
| $10,000 | $19,999 | $1,000 |
| $20,000 | $49,999 | $2,500 |
| $50,000 | $99,999 | $5,000 |
| $100,000 | $199,999 | $10,000 |
| $200,000 + | $20,000 |