[Vintage] Burri, René (1933-2014). Ché Guevara, 1963

Gelatin silver print, 1963, approx. 30 x 40 cm, signed dedication and dated by photographer in 2010 recto (See image of the consigner w. Burri), and annot. from unknown hand in pen verso. Tipped-in under passe-partout.

Condition shows wear, but the provenance is outstanding.* *The photograph was acquired by the consignor in February 2010 in Havana, Cuba. The seller, a collector, claimed it was the original print delivered by Magnum photographer René Burri to the Ministry of Industry in 1963, during the time Ché Guevara served as minister from 1961 to 1965. Upon returning to the Netherlands, the consignor coincidentally discovered that Kunsthal Rotterdam was hosting the exhibition "René Burri - Retrospectief" from 16 April to 22 August 2010. At the opening, René Burri autographed the print with a dedication: "Für Lion, Rotterdam, 16/4/10." He verified the print's provenance and remarked, "I envy you for this treasure," noting that he possessed only two vintage prints in his personal collection. While Burri's iconic portrait of Ché Guevara is frequently sold, it is usually as later digital prints, rarely as an original first print from 1963 such as this one.