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Erwitt: the Genius Who Shot with Irony (and Often at Dog Height)
#Exhibitions
Elliott Erwitt, England. Birmingham, 1991, 40 × 50 cm | © Elliott Erwitt Private Collection

If you think photography is all drama and existential depth, think again: at Palazzo Bonaparte, Elliott Erwitt’s Icons exhibition stages a full-blown human comedy - no Instagram filter required. Featuring over 80 iconic images, this show invites us to laugh, reflect, and maybe even be moved - all in the blink of a shutter. Born in Paris and raised between Milan, Los Angeles, and New York, Erwitt was far more than a photographer. A sharp, ironic witness of the 20th century, he became a Magnum Photos member in 1953 and spent the next decades capturing everyone from political leaders to timeless movie stars, children - and yes, dogs. Because no one quite captured a dachshund’s psyche like Erwitt did. Between Nixon in mid-diplomatic spat and Marilyn Monroe bathed in fragile radiance, from Che Guevara’s defiance to tender portraits of his newborn daughter, Erwitt chronicled it all with disarming wit. His photos are visual punchlines: sometimes surreal, sometimes poetic, always deeply human. His low-angle shots - often “from a dog’s point of view” - remind us that humor is about perspective. And with a trumpet blast or a faux bark, he knew just how to trigger the perfect frame. This exhibition is a journey through his light yet profound imagination, where the ordinary becomes timeless and absurdity morphs into truth. Erwitt looks at us, makes us laugh, consoles us - and reminds us that sometimes, to change the world, all it takes is a well-timed smile caught on film.

Viola Canova - © 2025 ARTE.it for Bvlgari Hotel Roma