Benetton photographer Oliviero Toscani died at the age of 82
Benetton photographer Oliviero Toscani has died at the age of 82. He had been in hospital since Friday as his health continued to deteriorate.
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- Benetton photographer Oliviero Toscani has died at the age of 82.
- He died in the hospital in Cecina. He had been hospitalized there since Friday because his health was deteriorating.
- Toscani became internationally famous in the 1980s for his controversial advertising campaigns for the Italian fashion chain Benetton.
The Italian star photographer Oliviero Toscani is dead. He died at the age of 82 after a serious illness on Monday, according to the Ansa news agency, citing Toscani's family. The Italian became internationally renowned for his provocative advertising campaigns for the Benetton fashion brand.
Oliviero had "embarked on his next journey", according to a statement from his family. The President of Tuscany, where Toscani last lived, paid tribute to the photographer as a "master of photography and a free spirit". "His genius will continue to inspire us," wrote Eugenio Giani on social media.
Most recently, he suffered from an incurable illness
In August, Toscani revealed in an interview that he was suffering from amyloidosis - a rare disease that leads to organ failure. "In practice, proteins build up at certain vital points and block the body. And you die. There is no cure," explained the photographer. He recently underwent an experimental treatment.
Toscani had photographed advertising campaigns for Benetton for more than 15 years in the 80s and 90s, until the photographer and company parted ways.
He was repeatedly accused of being provocative with his choice of subjects - anorexics, Aids sufferers, prisoners sentenced to death. After a brief return, the company ended its collaboration with Toscani in 2020.
Shock photos caused a furor
His images of a priest and a nun united in a kiss, a bloodied newborn baby still on the umbilical cord or an AIDS patient on his deathbed caused a sensation. Condoms in all kinds of colors were also to be seen in his celebrated photographs. He also showed his pictures many times in numerous different exhibitions, including in Germany.