25 Breath-Taking 2014 Images You Need To See

On reflection, 2014 was a year marked by tragedy, by disaster and by the ravages of war, and in that context the minuscule concerns of culture could easily take a back-seat. But art is as important in times of adversity as in ones of prosperity and peace, and out of the starkest of times the most beautiful of images can emerge. With the selfie stick becoming one of the most gifted items at Christmas, the culture of actually capturing moments as a viewer, rather than obsessively capturing your own face from a few foot or inches away is becoming a thing of the past. That will come at an almighty cost to beauty and to self-regard: as the Selfie Generation look at themselves instead of what's in front of them, moments will be missed. And a look back at the most beautiful images of the year prove that that would be an utter travesty. Behold, the most stunning images from 2014 you need to see...

An American flag is placed in the sand of Omaha Beach, western France. Veterans and Normandy residents are paying tribute to the thousands who gave their lives in the D-Day invasion of Nazi-occupied France 70 years ago.