Moment of Death, Spain

Robert Capa (born André Friedmann) achieved international recognition for his gritty images of the Spanish Civil War. This iconic photograph records the collapse of Loyalist militiaman Federico Borrell García a split second after being shot by one of General Franco's supporters. The death is both actual and symbolic. García "the Falling Soldier," becomes a martyr for the ordinary citizens who took up arms against a brutal, fascist-backed army that would, ultimately, triumph. On the matter of photographic style, Capa famously declared, "If your pictures aren't good enough, you're not close enough," a dictum that set the standard for war photographers for generations to follow.