Mario Testino's most renowned
print of Diana, Princess of Wales, was auctioned at Philips De Pury on
20th
November. The iconic print first seen in Vanity Fair in 1997 sold for a huge
£46,100, more than double the reserve price (£20,000).The print was donated byPeruvian, Mario Testino to raise funds for Save the Children's work in the
photographer's homeland which was devastated by an earthquake on August 15 this
year. The proceeds from the sale will
go towards Save the Children's ongoing
emergency work.Almost three months after the
devastating earthquake, life remains difficult for the more than 47,000
residents of Pueblo Nuevo
District in Chincha, one of the hardest-hit areas in
the province. Overall, almost 100,000 houses were destroyed and 1,200 schools
damaged during the quake. Families are still struggling to return to
normal.
Save the Children are refurbishing schools, and helping families to rebuild
their homes. Testino said of the sale:
"I am delighted at the great news that my print was sold
just
hours ago at such a good price. This sale will make all the
difference to the work that Save the Children is now able to do in Peru.
I hope to visit the projects over the coming few months. It will be
wonderful
to see for my own eyes the benefit that this auction will now bring
to the children still suffering from last summer's earthquake."Already poor before the quake
struck,
many businesses were damaged leaving people struggling to make a
living. Many now find it hard to raise the cash needed to send their children
to school. The funds raised will be used by Save the
Children to help rebuild
schools. Testino would like to help make education available for all the
children in Pueblo Nuevo.
More Information:To find out more about
the
auction, please visit www.savethechildren.org.uk/media
or contact Kate Redman at Save the Children Media Unit: 0207 012 68
63
To be sent a broadcast
quality video interview of
Mario Testino regarding the print auction before the
sale, or for a high resolution copy of the print itself please contact Kate
Redman on: 0207
012 68 63 / 07831 650 409.For a high
resolution
photo of the print being auctioned in the auction house, please contact getty
images.To find out more about Phillips de Pury & Company's
auctioning house, please
go to http://www.phillipsdepury.com
or contact Genny Janvrin , Head of Photographs, London + 44 20 7318 4025
[ Any views expressed in this article are those of the writer and not of Reuters. ]
