The numerous obituaries for Nelson Mandela naturally emphasize his achievements both within South Africa and on the world stage—he’s already been eulogized as a supporter of equal rights for LGBT people, a right-wing bogeyman, and, by The Onion, as the rare politician whose death won’t bring celebration in the streets. But the memory that most will carry with them in the coming days will be of the South African hero as a secluded prisoner in a spartan cell. The famous image of Mandela staring out of his barred window has not only been made ubiquitous, but also recreated by the dozens of celebrities and political leaders who have made pilgrimages to Robben Island:
Senator Barack Obama (Getty Images/Roger Bosch)
Angolan President Jose Eduardo Dos Santos (Getty Images/Anna Zieminski)
Secretary of Defense William Cohen (Getty Images/Anna Zieminski)
Netherlands Prime Minister Wim Kok (Getty Images/Anna Zieminski)
Singer Annie Lennox (Getty Images/Frank Micelotta)
Sinn Fein Leader Gerry Adams (Getty Images/Anna Zieminski)
Musician Ms. Dynamite (Getty Images)
Swedish Prime Minister Goran Persson (Getty Images/Anna Zieminski)
French President Nicolas Sarkozy (Getty Images/Eric Feferberg)
Actress Charlize Theron (Getty Images/Anna Zieminski)
Bolivian President Evo Morales (Getty Images)
Singer Beyonce Knowles (Getty Images/Frank Micelotta)
Tanzanian President Jakaya Kikwete (Getty Images/Rodger Bosch)
Cuban President Fidel Castro (Getty Images/Anna Zieminski)
Spanish King Juan Carlos I (Getty Images/Anna Zieminski)
Iraqi Deputy Prime Minister Tariq Aziz (Getty Images/Anna Zieminski)
Singer Peter Gabriel (Getty Images/Frank Micelotta)
President Barack Obama (Getty Images/Jim Watson)
Correction: This article originally described Goran Persson as the President of Sweden. In fact, he served as the Prime Minister of Sweden.