Jackie Windblown

Through these photos, Galella ( 1931 - 2022 ) presents the life of Warhol, his entourage and the places he frequented, in the form of a visual diary. The term Paparazzo (Italian for “pest”) accurately defines Ron Galella, the man who built his reputation by photographing celebrities on the spot, often in private moments. Famous for his restraining order against Jackie Onassis, Galella was one of Andy Warhol's favorite photographers, who shared his fascination for celebrities of all stripes. “It was Andy Warhol who introduced me to Ron Galella. Andy loved Ron in his own complex way. He'd say, 'Well, this is, uh, Ron Galella. The best photographer”. When people stared at this ordinary-looking guy decked out in paparazzo gear, with his suburban accent and rumpled suit, they thought Andy was making fun of Galella. But it wasn't mockery at all. Andy really liked Galella. I think Warhol identified with a celebrity-loving, persevering and atypically perfectionist Ron. I can also imagine that Andy admired the courage of this ordinary guy, who didn't hesitate to put himself at risk in order to get close to the likes of Jackie Onassis, in constant search of the exceptional image. Andy Warhol saw in Galella a quality that eluded the average person: he was an exceptional photographer. For Andy Warhol, Galella was not a voyeur or a madman, but simply the best paparazzi. He was an artist in a field not recognized as art. Andy had a weakness for that too. I think his eye saw the greatest forbidden portrait photographer of our time.” Portrait of Ron Galella by Glen O'Brien.

Find a broad range of photography on 1stDibs today.

The first permanent image created by a camera — which materialized during the 1820s — is attributed to Joseph Nicéphore Niépce. The French inventor was on to something for sure. Kodak introduced roll film in the 1880s, allowing photography to become more democratic, although cameras wouldn’t be universally accessible until several decades later. 

Digital photographic techniques, software, smartphone cameras and social-networking platforms such as Instagram have made it even easier in the modern era for budding photographers to capture the world around them as well as disseminate their images far and wide. 

What might leading figures of visual art such as Andy Warhol have done with these tools at their disposal?

Today, when we aren’t looking at the digital photos that inundate us on our phones, we look to the past to celebrate the photographers who have broken rules as well as records — provocative and prolific artists like Horst P. Horst, Lillian Bassman and Helmut Newton, who altered the face of fashion and portrait photography; visionary documentary photographers such as Gordon Parks, whose best-known work was guided by social justice; and pioneers of street photography such as Henri Cartier-Bresson, who shot for revolutionary travel magazines like Holiday with the likes of globetrotting society lensman Slim Aarons.

Find photographers you may not know in Introspective and The Study — where you’ll read about Berenice Abbott, who positioned herself atop skyscrapers for the perfect shot, or “conceptual artist-adventurer” Charles Lindsay, whose work combines scientific rigor with artistic expression, or Massimo Listri, known for his epic interiors of opulent Old World libraries. Photographer Jeannette Montgomery Barron was given a Kodak camera as a child. Later, she shot on Polaroid film before buying her first 35mm camera in her teens. Barron's stunning portraits of Jean-Michel Basquiat, Warhol and other artists chronicle a crucial chapter of New York’s cultural history.

Throughout the past two centuries, photographers have used their medium to create expressive work that has resonated for generations. Shop a voluminous collection of this powerful fine photography on 1stDibs. Search by photographer to find the perfect piece for your living room wall, or spend some time with the work organized under various categories, such as landscape photography, nude photography and more.