Slim Aarons
Lido Life, Slim Aarons Estate Photograph in Venice, Italy
1957

Name: Lido Life, Slim Aarons Estate Photograph in Venice, Italy
Brand: Slim Aarons
Price: 1350 USD
Availability: InStock

About the Item

Lido Life: A group of friends squeeze onto an inflatable raft at the Venice Lido, Venice, Italy, 1957. This vibrant photograph by Slim Aarons, taken in 1957 at the Venice Lido, encapsulates the quintessential joy and carefree spirit of summertime leisure among friends. Aarons's lens captures a candid moment aboard an inflatable raft, as a group of friends clings together, poised between the ease of camaraderie and the excitement of a plunge into the cool, emerald waters. The composition is an intimate tableau of youth and spontaneity, with the subjects' bronzed skin against the brilliant orange of the raft creating a striking contrast that is both visually arresting and emotionally evocative. The photographer’s ability to frame the everyday into an almost cinematic scene is evident here, as the image invites viewers to partake in the sun-drenched bliss of Italian summers. For collectors who are drawn to works that celebrate the idyllic and playful aspects of life, this piece is an exceptional find. Aarons is known for his extraordinary talent to transcend the bounds of traditional portraiture and lifestyle photography, offering instead a window into a world of timeless elegance and leisure. The natural light, the rich textures, and the dynamic angles all work in harmony to tell a story of youthful exuberance -- you can almost hear the gentle lapping of the waves against the dock, and feel the warmth of the Mediterranean sun.. This photograph is not just a visual treat; it's a palpable memory of the sweet ease of summer, forever preserved in Aarons's masterful composition, making it a prized addition to any collection. Slim Aarons Lido Life Chromogenic Lambda print Printed Later Slim Aarons Estate Edition Complimentary dealer shipping to your framer, worldwide. Stamped and hand numbered by the Slim Aarons Estate. Certificate of Authenticity included. Collector will get the next number in the edition Complimentary dealer shipping to your framer, worldwide. Over the course of a career lasting half a century, Slim Aarons (1916-2006) portrayed high society, aristocracy, authors, artists, business icons, the celebrated and their milieu. In doing so, he captured a golden age of wealth, privilege, beauty and leisure that occurred alongside—but quite separate from—the cultural and political backdrop of the second half of the Twentieth Century. Photograph is unframed Slide show includes a close-up of the Slim Aarons estate's stamp. Collector will get the next number in the edition * We are pleased to offer the entire archive of the Slim Aarons Estate, offering the official Slim Aarons Estate Edition (only offered in this edition of 150). * Undercurrent Projects, New York, is proud to represent Aarons' full collection of negatives and transparencies. Housed at Getty Images Hulton Archive in London, The Slim Aarons Estate has released the limited Estate edition as a Lambda print, which is a modern c-type prints. They have chosen Lambda prints for their sharpness, clarity, colour saturation and quality, compared to archival inkjet prints. Lambda printing gives true continuous tone. Internal: Slim Aarons Venice, Vintage Venice Gondolas, Vintage Sport, Italy, Vintage Pools, Canals, 50s Venice, Lido, Mediterranean, Venice Biennale Art and Play

Creator:

Slim Aarons (1916-2006, American)

Creation Year:

1957

Dimensions:

Height: 10 in (25.4 cm)Width: 12 in (30.48 cm)

More Editions & Sizes:

16 x 20 inchesPrice: $2,15020 x 30 inchesPrice: $3,00030 x 40 inchesPrice: $3,350

Medium:

Lambda

Movement & Style:

Realist

Period:

1950-1959

Framing:

Framing Options Available

Condition:

Gallery Location:

Los Angeles, CA

Reference Number:

1stDibs: LU14814288302

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Slim Aarons

American photographer Slim Aarons captured the 20th century’s international jet set — U.S. socialites, European royalty, Hollywood stars — at play in sun-kissed locales like Monaco, Saint-Tropez and Palm Beach, as well as other luxurious settings around the globe.

Committed to eschewing makeup and artificial lighting, Aarons created images that are at once candid and polished, combining the relaxed posture of his subjects, who trusted him to document their lives, with the visual sharpness of a seasoned art director. Having gotten his start taking pictures for the U.S. military magazine Yank during World War II, he contributed over the course of his career to Life, Town and Country and Holiday magazines and published several books.

Aarons was born in Manhattan in 1916. He joined the army at 18, shooting military maneuvers at West Point before serving as a combat photographer, for which he was awarded a Purple Heart. After the war, he moved to California and began snapping socialites and movie stars.

In the 1950s, Aarons opened a bureau for Life magazine in Rome, where he took pictures capturing the postwar scene. He was always able to win the trust of his elite subjects, who saw him as close to a peer, rather than a paparazzo.

In a 2002 interview with The Independent, Aarons remarked, ''I knew everyone. They would invite me to one of their parties because they knew I wouldn't hurt them. I was one of them.'' This access allowed him to document the rich and famous with their guard down, reading newspapers and magazines, talking on the phone, relaxing by the pool, and chatting with friends. The 1957 photograph The Kings of Hollywood, for example, which won him wide acclaim, shows Clark Gable, Van Heflin, Gary Cooper and Jimmy Stewart laughing together as they celebrate New Year’s Eve.

Many of Aarons’s best-known images involve games and sports. In the 1972 Poolside Backgammon, two young women play the board game of the title against the backdrop of a majestic Acapulco estate. In 1958’s Cannes Watersports, a couple attempts to glide across the Golfe de la Napoule on Jet Skis, one expertly and one hanging on for dear life. And in Penthouse Pool, shot in Athens in 1961, a young woman wearing a yellow bathing cap smiles coyly at the camera, surrounded by friends and brightly colored seat cushions, with the Acropolis faintly visible in the background.

Among Aarons’s books are 1974’s A Wonderful Time: An Intimate Portrait of the Good Life, and its 2003 sequel, Once Upon a Time. His final book, A Place in the Sun, was published in 2005, one year before his death.

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