David Seymour Audrey Hepburn. Jardins des Tuileries, First Arrondissement, Paris, France. 1956.
“Chim’s photo of famed actress Audrey Hepburn playfully tugging on a bouquet of balloons records her delightful s
(...) tyle, which captivated audiences around the world. This photo, taken in Paris’s Jardins des Tuileries, was made in 1956 when she was starring in the film ‘Funny Face’ with the renowned dancer and singer Fred Astaire. Hepburn’s charm is apparent and expected by her devoted fans, who still see her as exemplary and inspirational. The unexpected part of this is that Chim, who was famous for photographing orphaned children after World War II for UNESCO, was called on to take publicity pictures for a big screen production.
Chim’s gentle personality, which enabled him to build trusting connections with traumatized children so they became collaborators in telling their stories, was equally valued by Hollywood celebrities. Chim’s portraits of Sophia Loren, Kirk Douglas, Joan Collins, Ingrid Bergman, and others made him the unexpected choice for Hollywood image makers, who saw that Chim could elicit honest, intimate, and fresh portrayals of well-photographed stars. Together with his subjects, Chim would reliably deliver the unexpected.”
– Ben Shneiderman, nephew of David “Chim” Seymour © David Seymour | Magnum Photos
