Slim Aarons

Over the course of a career lasting half a century, Slim Aarons (1916-2006) captured a golden age of wealth, privilege, beauty and leisure. He worked for the leading magazines of the day, often travelling to attend parties in Beverly Hills or on Park Avenue, spending winters in Gstaad or New Hampshire, summers on the French and Italian riviera or sailing in the Caribbean. Slim was very much at ease and on familiar terms with the world’s elite and he brought to his portraits a freshness and certain élan that they greatly appreciated. As a result, he was welcomed into the exclusive retreats of the world’s glitterati and his imagery attains a degree of intimacy approaching that of family photos. In recent years, the influence of his work has been increasingly acknowledged and he is now regarded as one of the most influential photographers of his generation.