In 1963 René Burri visited Havana on commission for Look magazine. One of the resultant portraits of Guevara smoking a cigar became an iconic image of the 20th century. For the book Contact Sheets, René Burri told the story behind the photograph: “I arrived with the US reporter Laura Berquist from Look magazine. Che had invited her when they met at the end of 1962 in New York. I immediately realized that the blinds were closed. Since this posed a technical problem, I asked him, ‘May I open the blinds?’ And he said, ‘No, it’s not necessary.’ Only later did I realize that he was so focused on what he was doing that he didn’t want to see what was going on outside. The interview began right away, and after a while they simply ignored me. The conversation became heated. Sometimes he would speak with a certain charm, but sometimes he would grab some papers. I have a photo of him jotting down figures. From time to time he would get up and leave, and he would always come back wearing his officer’s boots and combat fatigues. I remember that when he bit off the tip of his cigar, I expected him to offer me one, but he was so immersed in the discussion, which was lucky for me because I was simply ignored for two whole hours. He never once looked at me, which was extraordinary. I was moving all around him, and there isn’t a single photograph in which he appears looking at the camera.” This contact sheet features images from Burri’s time with Che Guevara in Cuba, 1963 Rene Burri joined Magnum Photos in 1959.
Specification
Format: Archival Pigment Print
Magnum Archive Stamped
Sizes: 16 x 20 in (40 x 50 cm) or 20 x 24 in (50 x 60 cm)
Printed on Hahnemuhle Fine Art Baryta paper
This print is for personal use only, intended for display in the home or other private spaces. For all other purposes, such as display in public spaces or institutions, publishing the image online or in print, or any other form of usage, permission must be granted by Magnum Photos.
Framing
Magnum Editions Each frame is handcrafted and made to order, built from solid wood and featuring premium matting and framing-grade plexiglass with approximately 60% UV protection.
Darkroom & Contact Sheet Prints Each frame is a handcrafted, made-to-order shadowbox, built from solid wood and featuring framing-grade plexiglass with approximately 60% UV protection.
Please allow up to three additional weeks before your order is shipped when ordering a framed item.
Please note: due to the nature of the framing process the artist archival stamp that is on the recto of our Contact Sheet, Darkroom and Magnum Edition prints will be obscured upon framing.
Refund policy
Each of our framed pieces is carefully handcrafted; due to the custom nature of these items and the time and materials involved in their production, we offer refunds under the following conditions:
Full Refund: You are eligible for a full refund if you cancel your order within 24 hours of placing it.
Partial Refund: If you cancel your order up to one week after it is placed, you are eligible for a partial refund equivalent to 45% of the total order value. This is due to the frame production having already started.
No Refunds After One Week: Refunds cannot be issued beyond one week, except in cases of errors on our part—such as production delays, defects, or incorrect items.
If you have any questions regarding this policy, please contact our Customer Support Team at shop@magnumphotos.com
Shipping
All of our prints are shipped flat and separately from other items in your order. Unframed posters are shipped within a sturdy tube.
If you order a framed print will ship carefully packed in bubble wrap and a sturdy box separately from other items in your order.
Please allow an extra three weeks for delivery for all framed items.
