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Che, Picasso photographer dies

October 20, 2014

The Swiss photographer who captured some of the most iconic pictures of the 20th century, including portraits of Fidel Castro, Che Guevara and Pablo Picasso, has died. Rene Burri was 81.

https://p.dw.com/p/1DYyK
Schweiz Magnum Fotograf Rene Burri gestorben
Image: picture-alliance/Keystone/S. Campardo

Magnum Photos, the long-time employer of Rene Burri, confirmed the internationally celebrated photographer's death on Monday.

Burri, 81, had reportedly been suffering from an illness and passed away in his hometown of Zurich.

"Not only was he one of the great post-war photographers, he was also one of the most generous people I have had the privilege to meet," Mangum Photos President Martin Parr said in an online statement.

The photography icon began his expansive opus with a snapshot of Prime Minister Winston Churchill in 1946 while the British statesman was visiting Zurich.

Some 10 years later, Burri was hired by Magnum and began traveling the world, taking pictures that captured daily life, wars and cultural change.

Schweiz Magnum Fotograf Rene Burri gestorben
Burri's portrait of Ernesto "Che" Guevara is one of the world's best-known photos of the revolutionaryImage: picture-alliance/Keystone

But his portraits ensured that Burri's work is still instantly recognizable by many across the globe today.

In 1963, the Swiss photographer travelled to Cuba and captured images of its leading figures, including then President Fidel Castro. The main prize of the visit, however, was a shot of the revolutionary Ernesto "Che" Guevara, chomping on a cigar, gazing off to the side.

Black-and-white shots of Spanish artist Pablo Picasso, dressed in stripes, also brought fame to the Swiss icon.

One of the world's most important photographers of the 20th century, Burri reportedly left behind some 30,000 pictures to the Musee d'Elysee in Lausanne, Switzerland.

kms/sb (AP, AFP)