Iconic Portraits

Recently, I read an article claiming the 10 Most Iconic Portraits of the 20th Century. But is it really possible to claim that these are the 10 most iconic. Are these the images that best represent those iconic figures? I partially agree with the author’s thesis on what makes an iconic portraits.

“Far more than pictorial representations of celebrated or instantly recognizable figures, they capture so much more, seeming to encapsulate not simply the very essence of the person in the shot but all they have come to stand for – the attitudes, beliefs and values of an entire era.”

But I differ in one respect: an iconic portrait should be more about the iconic figure in the image than about the attitudes of the era. Its story should provide the viewer with an intimate understanding  of that iconic figure at that time in their lives, leaving their effect on the external environment as a by-product rather than a focus. That doesn’t mean that an image itself might not be iconic in its own right, just that it may not be an iconic portrait. To illustrate my point, look at these two images of Muhammed Ali:

The image on the top, from the article, is certainly iconic but more for its effect on the boxing industry rather than the man himself.  That image was controversial because it was widely believed that Ali had thrown a “phantom punch” and Sonny Liston had thrown the fight. The image on the bottom is the true Ali. He carried an “in your face” attitude, and played the media like a champion. The photo encapsulates him, not his effect on the larger world.

I know this is a fine line, but I think an important one. But the one thing about art is that it is subjective.  Many of you might argue that the phantom punch image is more Ali, or that my concept of a portrait is wrong.  Well, that is true allure of art; there are no real answers, just informed opinion.

I would still like to credit the author of the 10 Most Iconic Portraits of the 20th Century, in the ability to even decide on 10. That would be too difficult for me. So I would like to add a couple of images to the pool and maybe some readers might want to add others.

Farrah Fawcett

When this image was taken, nobody knew Farrah Fawcett. She was that model that was married to the Six Million Dollar Man. This was before Charlie’s Angels.  The image was all Farrah.  She chose the bathing suit, she did her own hair and makeup and chose the ultimate image that would go on to sell millions of posters and make her a household name.  This image captures playful girl next door of her personality.  ”She was the girl next door. So if you were a teenager, you could bring this in the house and put it up in your room — as long as Mom didn’t look too closely.” Bruce McBroom, the photographer said “Like any photo shoot, we did a lot of different stuff. But it was just Farrah and myself. It was before the days where you had to have stylists and hair and makeup and background art directors and assistants. It was just me and Farrah and my Nikon.”

To read more about the behind the scenes of how this poster became an icon, see this Time Magazine article.

John Lennon

This image was taken 8 days before John Lennon was shot and killed in the Lobby of his apartment in New York City.  Lennon was an activist, always speaking out against policies of the U.S. Government. Yet, he loved this country, and particularly New York City.  He fought to make  it his home while the FBI and other government officials were trying to deport him. This image became iconic because it symbolized his fight “to stay here and had been killed here. He was very vocal about his love for New York. And New York loved him back.” From that day on, the photo became “so popular there was no way to stop it,” says Gruen.” In the days following his death, Promoter Ron Delsener was drafted to organize a vigil in Central Park, and he asked Bob Gruen, the photographer for this shot, to choose a centerpiece image. Gruen picked ths one.

For more on this story, read Legend of a Photo. How an iconic portrait began with a photographer’s T-shirt.

If you have any other ideas for iconic portraits, just make a comment.

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