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This evocative photograph captures Laura Hawk, Slim Aarons' trusted assistant, reading a guidebook while standing gracefully on the base of an ancient broken column among the ruins of the Temple of Poseidon at Paestum, Italy, in August 1984. The image perfectly embodies Aarons' philosophy of capturing elegant moments in extraordinary places, as Hawk appears absorbed in contemplation surrounded by some of the world's most magnificent ancient Greek architecture.
Paestum, originally founded as Poseidonia by Greek colonists around 600 BCE, represents one of the most remarkable archaeological sites in the world. The ancient city boasts three exceptionally well-preserved Doric temples dating from 550 to 450 BCE, making it a UNESCO World Heritage site and a testament to the grandeur of Magna Graecia. The Temple of Poseidon, where this photograph was taken, is considered one of the finest examples of Doric architecture anywhere, its limestone columns and classical proportions having survived over two millennia in the coastal region of Campania.
Slim Aarons, renowned for his evocative photographs of, as he described it, "attractive people doing attractive things in attractive places," was the quintessential chronicler of high society. After serving as a war photographer, Aarons turned his lens to a new landscape: the glamorous lives of Hollywood elites, Palm Beach socialites, and jet-setting debutantes and princes. His work for society publications captured an aspirational world of leisure and luxury that defined the American upper class throughout the mid-20th century, creating images that remain timeless symbols of sophistication and style.
Every piece in our unique Slim Aarons collection is meticulously handcrafted using archival materials and printed on premium, luster photographic paper with environmentally safe inks, custom framed by skilled artisans who ensure that each work of art meets the exacting standards befitting such an iconic photograph.
