I came upon this absolutely brilliant post called “13 Photographs That Changed the World.” While I personally might disagree with the importance of some of the choices, they are nevertheless extremely important as well as wonderfully fascinating.

Here are my favorites from the bunch, which you can read more about here.

“Le Violon d’Ingres” by Man Ray.

“Le Violon d’Ingres” is perhaps Man Ray’s best-known photograph, and one of his earliest. Like many pieces from the Dada movement (which Ray is credited with bringing to the United States), it’s a visual pun. By drawing f-holes on his model’s back, he points out the similarities between the body of a woman and the body of a violin. But it’s a literal pun, as well. Both the model’s dress and pose echo a famous painting by French artist Jean-Auguste-Dominiqe Ingres, whose hobbies were depicting female nudes and playing the violin.”

Absolutely brilliant, that one is most definitely my favorite, and not just because Dadaism is my favorite art movement, or because I hate Orientalists, just because I think its awesome.

“Murder of a Vietcong by Saigon Police Chief”
Eddie Adams, 1968

(Which brings to mind the famous Magnum debate- would a photographer be helping the world more by stopping the crime instead of shooting it or by shooting it and sharing with the world? What do you think?)

“The Corpse of Che Guevara”
Freddy Alborta, 1967

“By killing the man, Bolivian officials unwittingly birthed his legend. The photo, which circulated around the world, bore a striking resemblance to Renaissance paintings of Christ taken down from the cross. Even as Che’s killers preened and gloated above him (the officer on the right seems to be inadvertently pointing to a wound on Guevara’s body near where Christ’s final wound was inflicted), Che’s eerily peaceful face was described as showing forgiveness. The photo’s allegorical significance certainly wasn’t lost on the revolutionary protesters of the era. They quickly adopted “Che lives!” as a slogan and rallying cry. Thanks to this photograph, “the passion of the Che” ensured that he would live on forever as a martyr for the socialist cause.”

Haunting, huh?

“Dalí Atomicus”
Philippe Halsman, 1948

I am not the biggest fan of surrealism, and perhaps that’s exactly why I like this photograph; making surrealism a little more “real”.

What are your favorites from the 13? Can you think of anything to add?