John Lennon and Yoko Ono, New York City, December 8, 1980

This portrait of John Lennon and Yoko Ono is just one of Annie Leibovitz's photographs that have become icons of 20th century popular culture. Leibovitz was invited in December 1980 to make the founder of the Beatles live forever for the cover of Rolling Stone magazine. She later recounted how, when she showed Lennon a Polaroid of the scene, he said: "That's exactly it, that our relationship." Five hours later, the musician was murdered outside his New York apartment building, transforming this image into a deeply moving portrait of farewell between two vulnerable lovers.