The German photographer Peter Lindbergh has died. The news was announced via his official Instagram account, which read: “It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Peter Lindbergh on 3 September 2019, at the age of 74. He is survived by his wife Petra, his first wife Astrid, his four sons Benjamin, Jérémy, Simon, Joseph and seven grandchildren. He leaves a big void.”
The prolific lensman had a long history with British Vogue, most recently capturing 15 stars for the September 2019 Forces For Change issue, which was guest-edited by HRH The Duchess of Sussex. For the mammoth cover shoot, which took place over three continents and several days, and – in a first for the magazine and for him – via video link, Lindbergh was the only man for the job. “He makes everybody feel their best,” said British Vogue editor-in-chief Edward Enninful.
The Duchess’s instructions to Lindbergh for the shoot – “I want to see freckles!” – were perfectly aligned with his style of photography. “I hate retouching, I hate make-up. I always say, ‘Take the make-up off!’” Lindbergh told fashion features editor Ellie Pithers. “The number of beautiful women who have asked me to lengthen their legs or move their eyes further apart… You would not believe. It’s a culture of madness.”
The September issue was Lindbergh’s first cover for the magazine since the September 1992 issue, but it is his now-iconic January 1990 cover, featuring supermodels Cindy Crawford, Naomi Campbell, Linda Evangelista, Tatjana Patitz and Christy Turlington, that is perhaps his most famous.
“Sometimes I worry I am becoming an old shmuck, but it was wonderful to photograph this project,” Lindbergh said of his latest collaboration with the title. His elegant and cinematic mode of shooting – also made famous by his Pirelli calendars and Calvin Klein campaigns – will, as his estate said, leave a void in fashion.
“Peter Lindbergh was both a visionary photographer and a dear friend,” added Enninful upon receiving the news. “His ability to see real beauty in people, and the world, was ceaseless, and will live on through the images he created. He will be missed by everyone who knew him, worked with him or loved one of his pictures.”
This article was originally published on British Vogue.
Editor
Alice NewboldCredit
Lead image: Photo by Bertrand Rindoff Petroff/French Select/Getty Images