Gian Paolo Barbieri, one of Italy’s greatest photographers, has died, leaving behind a unique legacy that has shaped the history of international fashion and photography.

 
“Fondazione Gian Paolo Barbieri announces with deep sorrow the passing of the great master of photography,” the foundation he founded in 2016 announced.

Through his lens, Barbieri captured not only the elegance and allure of his models but also the soul of Italian fashion, elevating it to an art form, the foundation added.

Best known for his iconic advertising campaigns for Valentino, Armani, Gianfranco Ferré and Dolce & Gabbana, Barbieri was a regular contributor to Vogue Italia, Vogue America, Vogue Paris, and Vogue Germany.
 
Noted for his ability to humanize stars while still capturing them in dramatic settings, Barbieri lensed powerful images of such legends as Audrey Hepburn, Sophia Loren, Rudolf Nureyev and Monica Bellucci. While his portraits of great fashion designers like Giorgio Armani, Vivienne Westwood, Gianni Versace and Sir Paul Smith were some of the favorites of the creators themselves.

 
“His unique vision influenced generations of photographers, leaving an indelible mark on the world of fashion design and visual communication,” added the foundation.
 
Besides fashion, Barbieri shot a series of travel books, notably his critically acclaimed work of ethnographic reportage Madagascar that remains a classic of its genre.  As was his study of tattoos on hyper muscular Pacific island heroes in Portfolio: Tahiti.
 
Born in 1935 in central Milan into a wealthy Lombard family, Gian Paolo’s earliest creative efforts were on the stage and cinema, which later influenced his self-taught photography. He worked first as an assistant in the early 60s at Harper’s Bazaar, before he graduate to shooting for various Vogues.
 
Dashing and elegantly attired, Barbieri ended up shooting a pantheon of supermodels including Jerry Hall, Veruschka, Evan Herzigová and Mirella Petteni. And also gaining assignments for Vanity Fair and GQ.

 
His works have been exhibited at the Palazzo Reale in Milan, the MAMM in Moscow, the Erarta Museum of Contemporary Art in St. Petersburg and the Shanghai Museum, to name but a few. Works of his photography are also part of the collections of the Victoria & Albert Museum and the National Portrait Gallery in London, the Kunstforum in Vienna and the Musée du Quai Branly in Paris.
 
Gian Paolo’s final decade was devoted to his foundation, where he promoted photographic culture, supported young talents, and preserved the value of photography as both testimony and artistic expression.
 
Commented his niece Giada: “You have been a second father to me, a precious guide who has accompanied me through so many moments of my life. You passed on to me your passion for beautiful things such as nature and aesthetic beauty. In addition to moral values, you gave me an immense aesthetic legacy, teaching me to look at the world with curious eyes full of wonder… Your love, your teachings and your memory will live on in me and in all those who were fortunate enough to know you.”

 
With Barbieri’s passing, photography and fashion loses not just a master but also a gentleman who dedicated his life to the pursuit of artistic perfection.
 
“The Gian Paolo Barbieri Foundation will continue to carry forward his mission, honoring the memory and work of an artist who immortalized the essence of his subjects. Goodbye Gian Paolo. Your art will continue to inspire the world,” the foundation added.