Steve McCurry is an American photographer who gained international acclaim for his arresting portrait of a young refugee known simply as Afghan Girl.
Originally published on the cover of National Geographic in 1985, the photograph shows a young Pashtun orphan, later identified as Sharbat Gula, who was living in a refugee camp near Peshawar, Pakistan, during the Soviet Union’s occupation of Afghanistan. The image is emblematic of McCurry’s work, which has brought him to war zones across the globe. Rather than focusing on the violence of the battlefield, McCurry seeks to capture the human face of conflict, distilling what is universal and recognizable in each portrait.
McCurry was born in Philadelphia and attended Penn State University, graduating cum laude with a degree in theater arts in 1974. After several years working at a newspaper in King of Prussia, Pennsylvania, he left to work as a freelancer in India, where he honed his skill for capturing unguarded moments in daily life. Just prior to the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, in 1979, he crossed the border from Pakistan into Afghan rebel–controlled territory, wearing native garb to disguise himself, with rolls of film sewn into his clothing. The photographs he took there were among the first in the world to document the conflict, and his work was awarded the Robert Capa Gold Medal for “photographic reporting from abroad.”
Over the course of his career, McCurry has documented daily life alongside conflicts in Cambodia, the Philippines, the former Yugoslavia, Beirut, Iraq, Afghanistan and Tibet. Though his photos depict serious and sometimes frightening situations, his ability to connect with subjects and capture something of their personalities allows his images to transcend the documentarian distance of wartime journalism. The results are real portraits that happen to be set in tough situations. Welder in a Ship Breaking Yard, Mumbai, India (1994), for instance, reveals only the subject’s eyes, but they’re so intently fixed on McCurry’s lens that they seem to express volumes. Monk Running on Wall (2004) shows a young monk defying gravity as he skitters along an exterior wall of the Shaolin Monastery in Henan, China, over the heads of his friends. Like a Baroque painting, McCurry’s picture captures a moment of dynamic action that reveals something instantly recognizable in a subject from another part of the world.
Find original Steve McCurry photography on 1stDibs.
Steve McCurry 'Afghan Girl'
By Steve McCurry
Located in New York, NY
Steve McCurry Afghan Girl 1984 (printed later C-print on Fuji Crystal archival paper 24 x 20 inches Signed and dated Steve McCurry has been one of the most iconic voices in contempo...
C Print
Afghan Girl by Steve McCurry, 1984, Digital C-Print, Portrait Photography
By Steve McCurry
Located in Denton, TX
Afghan Girl by Steve McCurry is a 24 x 20 inch digital C-print on Fujiflex Crystal Archive Supergloss paper. One of Steve McCurry's most iconic images, this photograph features a you...
Digital
Afghan Girl, Peshawar, Pakistan, 1984 - Steve McCurry (Colour Portrait)
By Steve McCurry
Located in London, GB
Afghan Girl, Peshawar, Pakistan, 1984 - Steve McCurry (Colour Portrait) Signed and affixed with photographer's edition label and numbered on reverse Digital c-type print Printed o...
C Print
Steve McCurry 'Afghan Nomad Girl'
By Steve McCurry
Located in New York, NY
Afghan Nomad Girl 1990 C-Prints printed on FujiFlex Crystal Archive Super Gloss Paper 60 x 40 inches Signed and numbered edition of 10 with certificate of authenticity Steve McCurry...
C Print
$7,000
Monk at Jokhang Temple, Lhasa, Tibet, 2000 - Steve McCurry(Portrait Photography)
By Steve McCurry
Located in London, GB
Monk at Jokhang Temple, Lhasa, Tibet, 2000 - Steve McCurry(Portrait Photography) Signed and numbered on photographer's edition label on reverse Digital c-type print 2014 20 x 24 in...
C Print
Steve McCurry 'Afghan Nomad Girl'
By Steve McCurry
Located in New York, NY
Afghan Nomad Girl 1990 C-Prints printed on FujiFlex Crystal Archive Super Gloss Paper 60 x 40 inches Signed and numbered edition of 10 with certificate of authenticity Steve McCurry...
C Print
Steve McCurry 'Girl with Green Shawl'
By Steve McCurry
Located in New York, NY
Girl with Green Shawl 2002 C-Prints printed on FujiFlex Crystal Archive Super Gloss Paper 24 x 20 inches Signed and numbered edition of 44 of 60 with cert...
C Print
Monk at the Jokhang Temple, Lhasa - Color Portrait, National Geographic
By Steve McCurry
Located in Denton, TX
Monk at the Jokhang Temple, Lhasa by Steve McCurry is a color portrait of old man with a deeply wrinkled face, wearing a colorful robe and a red hat. Digital C-print on Fujiflex Cr...
Archival Pigment
Woman at a Horse Festival, Tagong, Tibet, 1999 - Steve McCurry
By Steve McCurry
Located in London, GB
Woman at a Horse Festival, Tagong, Tibet, 1999 - Steve McCurry Signed and affixed with photographer's edition label and numbered on reverse Digital c-type print 20 x 24 inch pap...
C Print
Woman in Canary Burqa by Steve McCurry, 2002, Digital C-Print, Photography
By Steve McCurry
Located in Denton, TX
Woman in Canary Burqa by Steve McCurry is a 24 x 20 inch digital c-print on FujiFlex Crystal Archive Supergloss paper, available in an edition of 30. This photograph features a portr...
Digital
$14,000
Girl With Green Shawl, Peshawar, Pakistan, 2002 - Steve McCurry(Colour Portrait)
By Steve McCurry
Located in London, GB
Girl With Green Shawl, Peshawar, Pakistan, 2002 - Steve McCurry(Colour Portrait) Signed and affixed with photographer's edition label and numbered on reve...
C Print
$7,000
Rabari Tribal Elder, Rajasthan, India, 2010 - Steve McCurry (Colour Photography)
By Steve McCurry
Located in London, GB
Rabari Tribal Elder, Rajasthan, India, 2010 - Steve McCurry (Colour Photography) Signed and affixed with photographer's edition label and numbered on reverse Digital c-type print ...
C Print
$8,500
Rabari Shepherd, Rajasthan, India, 2009 - Steve McCurry (Colour Photography)
By Steve McCurry
Located in London, GB
Rabari Shepherd, Rajasthan, India, 2009 - Steve McCurry (Colour Photography) Signed and affixed with photographer's edition label and numbered on reverse Digital c-type print 20 x 24 inches, edition of 30 30 x 40 inches, edition of 15 40 x 60 inches, edition of 10 Steve McCurry (born 1950) is best known for his evocative colour photographs that document both human struggles and joy. Having travelled the globe for over thirty years, McCurry has photographed warzones, burning oil fields, refugee camps, ship breaking yards and monsoons all over the world. A member of Magnum Photos...
C Print
Man Covered in Powder, Rajasthan, India, 2009 - Steve McCurry
By Steve McCurry
Located in London, GB
Man Covered in Powder, Rajasthan, India, 2009 - Steve McCurry Signed and affixed with photographer's edition label and numbered on reverse Digital c-type print Printed on 20 x 24 ...
C Print
Girl in New Coat, Xigaze, Tibet, 2001 - Steve McCurry (Colour Portrait)
By Steve McCurry
Located in London, GB
Girl in New Coat, Xigaze, Tibet, 2001 - Steve McCurry (Colour Portrait) Signed and numbered on photographer's edition label on reverse Digital C-type print 20 x 24 inches Edition of ...
C Print
Smoking Coal Miner, Pol-E-Khomri, Afghanistan, 2002 - Steve McCurry
By Steve McCurry
Located in London, GB
Smoking Coal Miner, Pol-E-Khomri, Afghanistan, 2002 - Steve McCurry Signed and affixed with photographer's edition label and numbered on reverse Digital c-...
C Print
Red Boy, Holi Festival, Mumbai, India, 1996 - Steve McCurry (Colour Portrait)
By Steve McCurry
Located in London, GB
Steve McCurry Red Boy, Holi Festival, Mumbai, India, 1996 - Steve McCurry (Colour Portrait) Signed and affixed with photographer's edition label and numbered on reverse Digital c-typ...
C Print
Price Upon Request
Mannequin in Store Window, Venice, Italy, 2011
By Steve McCurry
Located in New York, NY
Signed by the photographer
C Print
Price Upon Request
Afghan Refugee
By Steve McCurry
Located in Greenwich, CT
Edition of 30 Additional sizes available Steve McCurry (American, b. 1950) has been one of the most iconic figures in contemporary photography for more than five decades. Born in Ph...
Paper, Archival Pigment
Price Upon Request
Candy Factory Worker
By Steve McCurry
Located in Greenwich, CT
Edition of 30 Additional sizes available Steve McCurry (American, b. 1950) has been one of the most iconic figures in contemporary photography for more than five decades. Born in Ph...
Paper, Archival Pigment
Price Upon Request
Woman At A Horse Festival, Tagong, Tibet
By Steve McCurry
Located in New York, NY
Woman At A Horse Festival, Tagong, Tibet, 1999 c print 24 x 20 inches edition of 30 signed and numbered on label on verso Steve McCurry has been one of the most iconic voices in co...
C Print
Price Upon Request
Man Covered in Powder, Rajasthan, India
By Steve McCurry
Located in Greenwich, CT
A man covered in powder during Holi. Signed, numbered, and dated on verso. Edition of 15 Additional sizes available.
Archival Pigment
Price Upon Request
Young Wodaabe Man, Niger
By Steve McCurry
Located in Greenwich, CT
Portrait of a young man in Niger Edition of 15
Archival Pigment
Price Upon Request
Child Adorned with Flowers
By Steve McCurry
Located in Greenwich, CT
Photograph of a child wearing a garland of flowers. Edition of 30
Archival Pigment
Price Upon Request
Woman At A Horse Festival, Tagong, Tibet
By Steve McCurry
Located in New York, NY
Woman At A Horse Festival, Tagong, Tibet, 1999 c print 24 x 20 inches edition of 30 signed and numbered on label on verso Steve McCurry has been one of the most iconic voices in co...
C Print
Price Upon Request
Rabari Shepard, Rajstan, India
By Steve McCurry
Located in New York, NY
RABARI SHEPHERD, RAJASTHAN, INDIA, 2009 Digital Colour C-Type 20 × 24 in; 50.8 × 61 cm Edition of 30 Steve McCurry has been one of the most iconic voices in contemporary photography...
C Print
Price Upon Request
Afghan Girl (Peshawar, Pakistan)
By Steve McCurry
Located in New York, NY
Steve McCurry Afghan Girl 1984 (printed later C-print on Fuji Crystal archival paper 24 x 20 inches Signed and dated Steve McCurry has been one of the mos...
C Print
Price Upon Request
Portrait Photographer, Kabul, Afghanistan
By Steve McCurry
Located in Greenwich, CT
Photograph of a portrait photographer in Afghanistan Additional sizes available.
Archival Pigment
Price Upon Request
Afghan Girl (Peshawar, Pakistan)
By Steve McCurry
Located in Greenwich, CT
Print of Afghan girl. Signed by the artist on verso, numbered, and dated.
Photographic Paper
$5,000
H 22.45 in W 29.93 in
The Mystery of Mouth, Photography, Story teller, Red lips, hat
By Tyler Shields
Located in München, BY
Edition of 3 More sizes on request. A woman with a black hat and a black pullover. The lips are painted deep red. Tyler Shields is an American Photographer, screenwriter, director ...
C Print
$1,600
H 19 in W 13 in
Little Surma Boy, Color Photography, on Handmade Paper, Signed Edition 2/5
By Jean-Michel Voge
Located in New york, NY
Little Surma Boy, 1996 by Jean-Michel (JM) Voge, is a contemporary color photograph of a child from the Surma tribe in the Omo Valley in Ethiopia, Africa. The photograph is printe...
Archival Ink, Archival Paper, Rag Paper, Digital, Archival Pigment, Digi...
$1,444
H 24 in W 17 in
Tree, Color Photograph of Surma Tribe Boys, Africa, 24x17, Edition of 5, Signed
By Jean-Michel Voge
Located in New york, NY
A contemporary color photograph by Jean-Michel (JM) Voge, Tree, 1996 is a portrait of Surma Tribe boys from the Omo Valley in Ethiopia, Africa. This is an...
Archival Ink, Archival Paper, Rag Paper, Digital, Archival Pigment, Digi...
$3,750
H 24 in W 20 in
Apollonia wearing YSL in Barbados. Norman Parkinson for Vogue, 1973
By Norman Parkinson
Located in New York, NY
Norman Parkinson captures Apollonia van Ravenstein wearing YSL in Barbados. Vogue, July 1973 Apollonia wearing YSL in Barbados. Vogue 1973 (printed later) C print Estate stamped and...
C Print
$1,500
H 19 in W 13 in
Rooster, Africa, Color Photograph, on Handmade Paper, Signed, Edition 1/5, 1996
By Jean-Michel Voge
Located in New york, NY
The subject wears a tribal mouthpiece lip plate and carries a rooster in her arms. Rooster, 1996 by Jean-Michel Voge, is a contemporary color photograph of a villager, a female nomad...
Archival Ink, Archival Paper, Rag Paper, Digital, Archival Pigment, Digi...
$1,600
H 13 in W 19 in
Two Sisters, Africa, Color Photograph, on Handmade Awagami Paper, 1/5, Signed
By Jean-Michel Voge
Located in New york, NY
On handmade Japanese Awagami paper, Two Sisters from a series on the Nomadic Surma tribe in Omo Valley in Ethiopia, Africa is by JM Voge. An editioned work,...
Archival Ink, Archival Paper, Rag Paper, Digital, Archival Pigment, Digi...
$1,500
H 17 in W 24 in
Love Italian Style, Contemporary Photography, Japanese Rice Paper, Limited Ed
By Roberta Fineberg
Located in New york, NY
A contemporary color photograph by Roberta Fineberg, the image is an homage to great Italian cinema of the 1960s, capturing French actor Alain Delon and Italian actress Claudia Cardi...
Archival Pigment, Rice Paper, Digital, Digital Pigment
Mouche at Praia do Vau, Norman Parkinson for Vogue 1973
By Norman Parkinson
Located in New York, NY
Mouche at Praia do Vau, Portugal wearing a Nina Ricci swimsuit. British Vogue magazine, January 1973. Mouche at Praia do Vau, Portugal for Vogue, January 1973 Printed later C print ...
C Print
$1,800
H 10 in W 10 in
Kirk Douglas In Antibes, Estate Edition, Mid-Century Modern Photograph
By Slim Aarons
Located in Los Angeles, CA
This late-1960s photograph, captured by society photographer Slim Aarons, features American actor Kirk Douglas (right) prepares to go waterskiing at the Hotel du Cap-Eden-Roc in Anti...
Lambda
$2,444
H 17 in W 23 in
Portrait Photograph, Louise Bourgeois in her Studio, 1992, Signed, Edition
By Jean-Michel Voge
Located in New york, NY
One of the most celebrated 20th Century artists, French-American woman artist, painter, printmaker, and sculptor Louise Bourgeois (1911-2010) at 81 years old was photographed in 1992...
Photographic Film, Archival Ink, Archival Paper, Rag Paper, Digital, Arc...
$1,600
H 13 in W 19 in
Painted Faces, Color Photography of Surma Women, Africa, Signed, 2/5 Edition
By Jean-Michel Voge
Located in New york, NY
Painted Faces, 1996 by Jean-Michel Voge, is a contemporary color photograph 13" x 19" of two women with painted faces from the Surma tribe in the Omo Valley in Ethiopia, Africa. Th...
Archival Ink, Archival Paper, Rag Paper, Digital, Archival Pigment, Digi...
$5,500
H 31.5 in W 47.5 in
Normandy Beaches Digital Print on Aluminum, Contemporary, 2010+
By Jacques Beneich
Located in Miami, FL
This photography is a mix of a fashion editorial photo shoot, approaching the theme of family: a story about twins, footsteps on a low tide timeless beach of the Independence Day. The Hebrew letters referring to the Jewish History say «To my Mother an my Father » The artwork of Jacques Beneich is an ever renewed exploration of his passion for fashion photography, black and white movies, and music, re-visited with an explosion of colors as a tribute to life. While working as a fashion photographer with the most well known magazines and companies, Jacques Beneich started working as a portraitist. In 1989 he signed one of the most famous series of portraits of some of the greatest jazz and blues musicians...
Aluminum
Rabari Shepherd, Rajasthan, India, 2009 - Colour Photography
By Steve McCurry
Located in London, GB
Signed and affixed with photographer's edition label and numbered on reverse Digital c-type print 20 x 24 inches Limited edition of 30 Steve McCurry (born 1950) is best known fo...
C Print
Monk at the Jokhang Temple, Lhasa
By Steve McCurry
Located in Greenwich, CT
Portrait of a Monk in Lhasa, Tibet Edition of 15
Archival Pigment
Girl in New Coat, Xigaze, Tibet
By Steve McCurry
Located in London, GB
Signed and numbered on photographer's edition label on reverse Digital C-type print 20 x 24 inches From an edition of 30 Also available in two larger sizes, please contact the galle...
Afghan Girl, Peshawar, Pakistan
By Steve McCurry
Located in Los Angeles, CA
no edition number. Artist's serial number on verso label: .0375. printed 2011 Signed and affixed with artist label verso; Certificate of Authenticity in binder
"The Afghan Girl" Sharbat Gula
By Steve McCurry
Located in Santa Monica, CA
Afghan Girl with Hands on Face
Sharbat Gula, Afghan girl, Pakistan,
By Steve McCurry
Located in Santa Monica, CA