Irving penn (1917-2009) born in Plainfield, New Jersey, studied under Alexey Brodovitch at the Philadelphia Museum School of Industrial Art. After graduating in 1938, he moved to New York and worked as an independent graphic artist. Vogue hired him to design the covers for the magazine in 1943, but his work was interrupted by his war service as an ambulance driver. He resumed work after the war and contributed his photographs of him to some covers. By the 50s, Penn had risen to become one of the magazine's leading editorial, fashion, and portrait photographers. His collaborations with Lisa Fonssagrives, the celebrated fashion model whom he married in 1947, were particularly effective. In 1952, he also began doing publicity photography in his New York studio. His work has been featured extensively in exhibitions at the National Portrait Gallery in Washington, DC, the Museum of Modern Art and the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and elsewhere. Penn produced a number of photography books, including Worlds in a Small Room (1974), Flowers (1980), and Passage: A Work Record (1991), which won the ICP Infinity Award for publications in 1992.
His use of monochromatic backdrops of black, white or gray, as well as his light tent construction – a configuration of painted white boards that allowed him complete control over natural lighting conditions – enhanced the visual simplicity of his photographs. At a time when elaborate artificial lighting was the norm, his work stood out from the rest and influenced subsequent fashion photography.
Investment judgment ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
But how much is his work worth?
Some of the latest awards:
Poppy: Showgirl, New York” 1968 – Dye-transfer, mounted under passe-partout, encadré. Draft of 1989 – Clearing price: 60.000 €Price including charges: €75.000Estimate: €50.000 – €70.000 Sotheby's , 08/11/2019 Paris, France. Hand signed Dated Inscribed “15614” Copyright Title / verso Origin: Hamiltons Gallery, London; Christie's, New York, The Elfering Collection, October 10, 2005, lot 39 (43 x 54 cm).
Bee (A), New York, 1995 – Dye-transfer/carton. Published in 2001 – Ed. 15 (55 x 61 cm). Clearing price: €90.000 Price including expenses: €112.500 Estimate: €40.000 – €60.000 Christie's , 05/11/2019 Paris, France . Signed and dated Title / versoOrigin: Private View, Paris. Acquis directement auprès de cells-ci par le propriétaire actuel.
Three Rissani Women with Bread, Morocco”, 1971 – Gelatin silver print, viré au sélénium/carton monté sous passe-partout et encadré, tiré en 1984. Clearing price: €30.000 Price including expenses: €37.500 Estimate: €30.000 – €50.000 Sotheby's , 08/11/2019 Paris, France. Hand Signed Dated Copyright. Provenance: Kicken Gallery, Berlin; private collection, Germany; Sotheby's, Paris, Photographies, November 20, 2009, lot 82 (49,2 x 48,6 cm). Ed. 20.
Frozen Foods, New York, 1977 – Dye-transfer/cardboard. Published in 1984. Ed. 33 (59,1 x 46,2 cm). Clearing price: €70.000 Price including expenses: €87.500 Estimate: €70.000 – €90.000 Christie's , 05/11/2019Paris, France
Signed and dated Title / versoOrigin: Christie's, New York, Photographs, 24 April 2006, Lot 14. Galerie Thierry Marlat, Paris. Sotheby's, Paris, Importante collection européenne de Photographies, 10 November 2017, Lot 50. Acquis lors de cette vente par le propriétaire actuel
