With the passing of Brigitte Bardot on December 28, 2025, the world has been reminded of the singular power of her image. Bardot was more than a cinematic legend or a fashion muse. She embodied a new kind of freedom, one that reshaped ideas of femininity, celebrity, and self-determination. Few figures of the 20th century have left such a profound visual legacy.

In moments like this, attention naturally returns to the photographs that defined her legacy. Images once seen as symbols of an era now take on a deeper historical resonance. Among them, the portraits captured by Terry O’Neill stand apart as defining works, both culturally and photographically, and today remain among the most sought after images available to collectors.

Terry O'Neill 'Brigitte Bardot for Shalako', 1968 (Artsy)

O’Neill did not merely photograph Bardot; he revealed her. His images are instinctive, intimate, and strikingly modern, capturing her strength, irreverence, and magnetic independence. The iconic portrait of Brigitte Bardot Smoking Cigar is one of the most emblematic images of 20th-century photography. It is a visual manifesto of independence, sensuality, and defiance that continues to resonate across generations.

As Bardot’s legacy re-enters the global conversation, demand for these photographs has intensified accordingly. At The Selects Gallery, original Terry O’Neill photographs of Brigitte Bardot have been sourced directly from the artist’s estate and are currently available to collectors, offering rare access to works of exceptional historical and market significance.

The estate has recently increased prices across many of Terry O’Neill’s works, reflecting accelerating institutional recognition and sustained collector demand. This broader market shift underscores the importance of timing, particularly as the “Brigitte Bardot Smoking Cigar” prints remain a rare exception. Their prices have not yet been adjusted, creating a narrowing window of opportunity for serious collectors.

Among the most significant works currently available through The Selects Gallery is the 40 × 60 lifetime silver gelatin print, co‑signed edition. There is now just one print remaining from the complete edition of 50, number 50 / 50, priced at $200,000. Every other print in this edition has sold out. This work is signed by both Terry O’Neill and Brigitte Bardot, placing it in an exceptionally small category of historic, co‑signed photography. As a lifetime silver gelatin print, it represents the traditional darkroom process that defined fine art photography throughout most of the 20th century, a process prized for its richness, depth, and authenticity. Works of this caliber and rarity are widely regarded as holding strong long‑term resale value.

Terry O'Neill 'Brigitte Bardot Smoking Cigar, 1971' Co signed edition

Also available is the 20 × 24 platinum print, the same format currently exhibited at the Minotti New York showroom. Signed by Terry O’Neill during his lifetime—he passed away in 2019—this work remains priced at $35,000 and has likewise not yet been adjusted, despite broader estate‑wide increases. The estate has recently confirmed that only a few platinum prints remain available. Platinum prints are considered the gold standard of archival photography. Made with pure platinum metal embedded directly into the paper fibers, they offer extraordinary longevity and unmatched tonal depth. The process is handcrafted, labor‑intensive, and historically associated with early masters such as Alfred Stieglitz and Edward Steichen, placing these works within the highest echelon of photographic craftsmanship.

MINOTTI, 134 Madison Avenue, New York

Importantly, all works offered by The Selects Gallery are sourced directly from the Terry O’Neill estate, ensuring impeccable provenance. always the most sought‑after and enduringly valuable source for collectors. This was demonstrated once again last October, when Phillips achieved a record setting result for Irving Penn’s Ginkgo Leaves, New York, 1990, reinforcing how provenance and authenticity directly influence long term value in the photography market.

Today, Terry O’Neill’s photographs of Brigitte Bardot exist at the intersection of iconic subject, master photographer, and finite availability. They are no longer simply images of a star, but enduring artifacts of cultural history. These works continue to gain meaning, relevance, and value over time. To collect them is to acquire not only a photograph, but a rare and enduring piece of visual history.