Elliott Erwitt dead – Legendary photographer who captured Nixon spat & shot Hollywood’s Marilyn Monroe dies aged 95
LEGENDARY photographer Elliott Erwitt has died at the age of 95.
The French-American died “peacefully at home surrounded by family,” a statement read.
No further details have been released around the exact cause of his death.
Erwitt was known for his candid and often funny black and white images.
He famously captured an infamous spat between then US Vice-President Richard Nixon and Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev in 1959.
The following year, Erwitt also took promotional shots for the Western classic The Misfits – a film starring Marilyn Monroe.
The shots show Monroe, Montgomery Clift and Clark Gable laughing and engaging with each other.
Magnum, the collective of photographers that Erwitt had been part of since 1953, offered an extended remembrance of his life.
Magnum said Erwitt would be remembered for “seeking out the most absurd and charming moments of life”.
“It was Erwitt’s firm belief that photography should speak to the senses and emotions rather than intellect,” the statement read.
Magnum added that it would “proudly protect the inspiring legacy that his image-making will keep on playing in the history of art and photography”.
A collection of his work will be on show at La Sucriere in Lyon, France, until March 2024.
Born in Paris in 1928 to Russian parents, Erwitt spent his childhood in Milan before emigrating to the US as a child.
He was married and divorced four times, and is survived by his six children, 10 grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.