Making of ‘Guerrillero Heroico’ (by Alberto Korda, 1960), 2016

The story behind the photograph…

"Guerrillero Heroico" stands as an iconic photograph capturing Marxist revolutionary Che Guevara, taken by Alberto Korda on March 5, 1960, in Havana, Cuba, during a memorial service for victims of the La Coubre explosion. As the 1960s drew to a close, this image, coupled with Guevara's subsequent actions and eventual execution, played a crucial role in cementing him as a cultural icon. Korda, the photographer, was particularly drawn to Guevara's facial expression at the moment of capture, noting the "absolute implacability," along with underlying emotions of anger and pain. In retrospect, Korda described the photograph as a portrayal of Che's resolute and stoic character. Guevara was 31 years old when the photograph was taken. The photograph's widespread influence and universal appeal have led the Maryland Institute College of Art to designate it as a symbol of the 20th century and the world's most famous photograph. Its iterations have manifested in paintings, prints, digital reproductions, embroidery, tattoos, silk screens, sculptures, and sketches on virtually every conceivable surface. The Victoria and Albert Museum acknowledge that this photograph has been reproduced more than any other image in the history of photography, underscoring its enduring impact on global visual culture.