Sophia by Eisenstaedt. Art Edition No. 101–200, ‘Near Naples’, 1961
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LIFE magazine’s Alfred Eisenstaedt and the Italian actress and Goddess Sophia Loren had a unique rapport, with “Eisie” shooting her multiple times from the early 1960s to the late 1970s. This Collector’s Edition, signed by Loren, features just under two hundred of these photographs, the majority unpublished, of the renowned beauty on film sets, with her family, and just being her fabulous, spontaneous self.
Art Edition (No. 101–200), numbered and signed by Sophia Loren. With the print Near Naples, 1961, signed by Sophia Loren and with an embossed signature by Alfred Eisenstaedt
“[Eisie] became my shadow. But he never tried to interfere in my life. No, he just kept on shooting and smiling and was happy just to be with me like I was to be with him!”
Sophia by Eisenstaedt. Art Edition No. 101–200, ‘Near Naples’, 1961
2000The Queen of Italy
Sophia Loren is regal, beautiful and yet always relatable in Eisie’s photographs
In 1961, Sophia Loren met Alfred “Eisie” Eisenstaedt for the first time when he shot her for LIFE —the 20th century’s preeminent photography magazine. It was the start of a decades-long friendship between the captivating international star and the “father of photojournalism.” Loren was establishing herself as both a glamorous and serious actress in equal measure and was on the verge of becoming one of the most famous women in the world, while Eisenstaedt was already four decades into his legendary photographic career.
Sophia presents just under two hundred never-before-seen color and black-and-white photographs from the ‘60s and ‘70s, culled deep from the archives of LIFE magazine, with the original negatives scanned in New York. These images are lovingly curated and presented, with the full approval of Loren and the Estate of Eisenstaedt in an unprecedented collaboration. Accompanying the candid, behind-the-scenes photographs are tear sheets from the many LIFE cover stories Eisenstaedt shot of Loren. She is effortlessly beautiful, spirited, and bold, yet at times also deeply introspective in her private world, that Eisenstaedt was privileged to witness. We see Loren on the set of films like Madame (1961), Marriage Italian Style (1964), and A Countess from Hong Kong (1967), alongside legends like Marcello Mastroianni, Marlon Brando, and Charlie Chaplin; her humble family home near Naples; intimate moments in her majestic villa with husband Carlo Ponti, near Rome; becoming a mother in 1969; Parisian family life with her sons Carlo, Jr. and Edoardo in 1976, and culminating in New York City in 1979, where we meet her as a wiser, self-possessed author on a press tour for her memoir. Eisenstaedt captures it all masterfully with his trademark blend of artistry and humanity, and his photos tell the story of the most dynamic period of her remarkable career and life.
Featuring an essay by Italian cultural commentator Professor Stephen Gundle and captions by Hollywood historian Justin Humphreys, this enchanting showcase presents the many facets of Loren: muse, icon, mother, enduring star and everywoman. Above all, it is a photo album of an indelible, unique camaraderie between two legends: Eisenstaedt, who reimagined photojournalism, and Loren who epitomizes Italian glamour.
Art Edition (No. 101–200), with a photographic print signed by Sophia Loren and with an embossed signature from The Estate of Alfred Eisenstaedt.
The photographer
Alfred Eisenstaedt (1898–1995) served in the German army in World War I, and, in the 1920s, took photographs on the side while working as a belt and button salesman. In 1929, he became a freelance photographer in Berlin, working for publications such as the Berliner Tageblatt. In 1935, he moved to the United States and joined Life magazine in 1936, as one of the four staff photographers when it was still known as “project x.” He was with the magazine for more than 50 years, shot 80 covers, and worked on 2,500 assignments. In 1945, he took one of the most famous photographs of all time: the sailor passionately embracing a young woman in Times Square during the victory over Japan celebrations. He published numerous books, including Witness of Our Time (1966).
Sophia by Eisenstaedt. Art Edition No. 101–200, ‘Near Naples’, 1961
Edition of 100Archival Pigment Print on Hahnemühle Fine Art Baryta Satin paper, 50.8 x 35.6 cm (paper size); Hardcover in clamshell box, 28.6 x 38.8 cm, 268 pages, total weight 3.6 kgISBN 978-3-7544-0559-8
Edition: EnglishThe picture frame seen here is for display purposes only; the print is sold unframed.
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