Slim Aarons
  • Biography
  • Artworks
  • Movements

Slim Aarons

United States • 1916 - 2006  586 followers

Photographing attractive people who were doing attractive things in attractive places. 

Biography

Aarons, a legendary American photographer, gained prominence for his unique approach to capturing the glamour and allure of Hollywood and celebrity life. Aarons' work remains a significant influence on celebrity photography and continues to be celebrated in exhibitions and retrospectives around the world. Recently, in December 2024, Vogue featured a curated selection of Aarons' après-ski photographs, highlighting his ability to capture the elegance and leisure of the Alpine lifestyle. These images continue to inspire fashion and travel enthusiasts, reflecting the enduring appeal of Aarons' work.

Enlisting in the U.S. Army at 18, he began his career as a photographer at West Point before serving as a combat photographer during World War II, where he earned a Purple Heart. Reflecting on his experiences, Aarons famously stated that combat had taught him that "the only beach worth landing on was decorated with beautiful, seminude girls tanning in a tranquil sun."

After the war, Aarons relocated to California, where his photography career flourished. He became renowned for his celebrity portraits and captured some of Hollywood's most iconic figures. His most celebrated photograph, Kings of Hollywood (1957), shows Clark Gable, Van Heflin, Gary Cooper, and James Stewart lounging at a bar on New Year's Eve, dressed in formal attire. His work appeared in prestigious magazines such as Life, Town & Country, and Holiday.

Aarons became known for his authentic, unstyled approach to photography, preferring to photograph "attractive people doing attractive things in attractive places." He never used a stylist or makeup artist, allowing his subjects' natural beauty to shine through. A prime example of this style is his 1970 Poolside Gossip photograph at Richard Neutra's Kaufmann House, which features Nelda Linsk, the house's owner, as one of the models.

In a 2002 interview with The Independent (London), Aarons shared, "I knew everyone. They would invite me to one of their parties because they knew I wouldn't hurt them. I was one of them." His relationships with his subjects were key to his success and candid approach. His personal influence even extended to film; the apartment in Alfred Hitchcock's Rear Window (1954), where Jimmy Stewart's photographer character resides, is said to be based on Aarons' own apartment.

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All artworks

Photography

Print

Photography, Skiers at Courchevel, Slim Aarons

Slim Aarons

Photography . 101.6 x 152.4 cm Photography . 40 x 60 inch

€3,690

Photography, Zermatt Skiing, Slim Aarons

Slim Aarons

Photography . 152.4 x 101.6 cm Photography . 60 x 40 inch

€3,690

Photography, Monte Carlo (XXXL), Slim Aarons

Slim Aarons

Photography . 101.6 x 152.4 cm Photography . 40 x 60 inch

€4,813

Photography, Culinary Heights (XXXXL), Slim Aarons

Slim Aarons

Photography . 121.9 x 182.9 cm Photography . 48 x 72 inch

€5,437

Photography, Culinary Heights (XXXL), Slim Aarons

Slim Aarons

Photography . 101.6 x 152.4 cm Photography . 40 x 60 inch

€4,813

Photography, Poolside Drinks (XXXL), Slim Aarons

Slim Aarons

Photography . 101.6 x 152.4 cm Photography . 40 x 60 inch

€4,813

Photography, Poolside Pairs (XL), Slim Aarons

Slim Aarons

Photography . 50.8 x 76.2 cm Photography . 20 x 30 inch

€4,519

Photography, Poolside Pairs (XXL), Slim Aarons

Slim Aarons

Photography . 76.2 x 101.6 cm Photography . 30 x 40 inch

€4,866

Photography, Poolside Pairs (L), Slim Aarons

Slim Aarons

Photography . 50.8 x 61 cm Photography . 20 x 24 inch

€4,171

Photography, Abercorns On Windermere (XXXL), Slim Aarons

Slim Aarons

Photography . 152.4 x 101.6 cm Photography . 60 x 40 inch

€4,813

Photography, Skiing At St. Moritz (XXXL), Slim Aarons

Slim Aarons

Photography . 152.4 x 101.6 cm Photography . 60 x 40 inch

€4,813

Photography, Barone Bettino Ricasoli (XXL), Slim Aarons

Slim Aarons

Photography . 101.6 x 101.6 cm Photography . 40 x 40 inch

€4,813

Photography, The Butlers (XXXL), Slim Aarons

Slim Aarons

Photography . 101.6 x 152.4 cm Photography . 40 x 60 inch

€4,813

Photography, Desert House Party (XXXXL), Slim Aarons

Slim Aarons

Photography . 121.9 x 182.9 cm Photography . 48 x 72 inch

€5,437

Photography, Desert House Party (XXXL), Slim Aarons

Slim Aarons

Photography . 101.6 x 152.4 cm Photography . 40 x 60 inch

€4,813

Photography, Vane's Villa (XXXL), Slim Aarons

Slim Aarons

Photography . 101.6 x 152.4 cm Photography . 40 x 60 inch

€4,813

Photography, Comte d'Arcangues (XXXL), Slim Aarons

Slim Aarons

Photography . 152.4 x 101.6 cm Photography . 60 x 40 inch

€4,813

Photography, Pool In St Tropez (XXXL), Slim Aarons

Slim Aarons

Photography . 101.6 x 152.4 cm Photography . 40 x 60 inch

€4,813

Photography, Poolside Pairs (XXXXL), Slim Aarons

Slim Aarons

Photography . 121.9 x 182.9 cm Photography . 48 x 72 inch

€7,068

Photography, Poolside Pairs (XXXL), Slim Aarons

Slim Aarons

Photography . 101.6 x 152.4 cm Photography . 40 x 60 inch

€6,257

Photography, Pool At Las Hadas (XXXL), Slim Aarons

Slim Aarons

Photography . 101.6 x 152.4 cm Photography . 40 x 60 inch

€4,813

Photography, Clifftop Pool (XXXL), Slim Aarons

Slim Aarons

Photography . 101.6 x 152.4 cm Photography . 40 x 60 inch

€4,813

Photography, Neo-Classical Pool (XXXL), Slim Aarons

Slim Aarons

Photography . 101.6 x 152.4 cm Photography . 40 x 60 inch

€4,813

Photography, Droulers And Daughters (XXL), Slim Aarons

Slim Aarons

Photography . 101.6 x 101.6 cm Photography . 40 x 40 inch

€4,813

Photography, Hotel du Cap Eden-Roc (XL), Slim Aarons

Slim Aarons

Photography . 101.6 x 76.2 cm Photography . 40 x 30 inch

€4,866

Photography, Hotel du Cap Eden-Roc (L), Slim Aarons

Slim Aarons

Photography . 61 x 50.8 cm Photography . 24 x 20 inch

€4,171

Photography, Hotel du Cap Eden-Roc (XXXL), Slim Aarons

Slim Aarons

Photography . 182.9 x 121.9 cm Photography . 72 x 48 inch

€7,068

Photography, Hotel du Cap Eden-Roc (XXL), Slim Aarons

Slim Aarons

Photography . 152.4 x 101.6 cm Photography . 60 x 40 inch

€6,257

Photography, Saks Fashion Show, Slim Aarons

Slim Aarons

Photography . 50.8 x 61 cm Photography . 20 x 24 inch

€3,100

Recommended by Artsper
Photography, San Diego Home, Slim Aarons

Slim Aarons

Photography . 50.8 x 50.8 cm Photography . 20 x 20 inch

€3,100

Photography, Dolores Guinness, Slim Aarons

Slim Aarons

Photography . 50.8 x 50.8 cm Photography . 20 x 20 inch

€3,420

Recommended by Artsper
6/23

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