We do not, on this newspaper, generally favour the word “iconic” — the term is hoary, tired, too apt to designate anything — but Annie Leibovitz’s images make an exceptional claim on the term: John Lennon wrapped naked in Yoko, hours before he was shot dead; Demi Moore, also nude, hugging her baby bump; Kim and Kanye finally on the cover of US Vogue; and, most recently, Caitlyn Jenner’s transformation into a curvaceous cover girl for Vanity Fair. Leibovitz, 66, is your ultimate celebrity photographer: an artist, or practitioner, feted by mags and museums alike, commanding huge sums for her work.
What’s more, she has lived a life as wide in scope and barmy as her pictures. She was Rolling Stone’s chief snapper at 23,