Helmut Newton

Helmut Newton, Richard Avedon, Mario Testino & More in London Photo Sale

World class works including nudes and celebrity portraits by Helmut Newton, Richard Avedon, Irving Penn, Mario Testino, Albert Watson and more are on offer at Christie's Photographs sale in London on May 21. Among the top-priced lots is Albert Watson's greatly enlarged contact sheet of a nude Kate Moss, taken in 1993, estimated at $29,000 - $44,000; his portrait of Uma Thurman meanwhile, also taken in '93, is estimated at $9,000 - $12,000. Mario Testino's iconic 1997 portrait of Princess Di is also expected to do well with an estimate of $26,000 - $32,000. Richard Avedon's portrait of artist Francis Bacon from 1979 is estimated at $18,000 - $26,000. Among the Helmut Newton offerings is 1976's famous Saddle, I (above) and 1980's Tied-up Torso, Ramatuelle, both estimated at $10,000 - $15,000. And Robert Mapplethorpe's nude Sonia Resika, 1988 is estimated at $4,000 - $7,000.

Tags: Albert Watson, celebrity, Francis Bacon, Helmut Newton, Irving Penn, Kate Moss, London, Mario Testino, nude, photography, Princess Dianna, Richard Avedon, Robert Mapplethorpe, supermodels, Uma Thurman

Gisele, Carla Bruni Nude & More in Photo Sale

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Auctions, Art

Now through November 19, artnet Auctions is featuring Faces & Figures, a special sale of 375 photographs by famous artists including Nan Goldin, Santé D'Orazio, David LaChapelle, Helmut Newton, Bert Stern and Pamela Hanson. The stunning sale features several nude supermodel portraits, including a nude of Carla Bruni by Hanson from 1994, vastly underestimated at $1,500 - $2,000 considering an identical one sold over the summer for $18,000. Other highlights include nudes of Frederique Van Der Wal from 1990 by D'Orazio, $1,000 - $1,500; a sexy snap of Gisele Bundchen by Mark Seliger (above) from 2000, estimated at $8,000 - $10,000; and a nude Gisele astride a horse by Walter Chin, $4,000 - $6,000. A nude of Pamela Anderson by LaChapelle is expected to fetch $18,000 - $24,000, and there several famous nudes of Marilyn Monroe by Stern. Also included are portraits of rock stars including the Rolling Stones, artists like Warhol and Basquiat, and celebs like Jackie Kennedy and Marlon Brando.

Tags: artnet, Carla Bruni, CarlaBruni, Gisele Bundchen, GiseleBundchen, Helmut Newton, HelmutNewton, Pamela Anderson, PamelaAnderson, photography, Sante DOrazio, SanteDorazio, supermodels

Nude Supermodels and More in Sotheby's Sale

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Auctions, Art

On October 9th in New York, Sotheby's will stage a stunning sale of photographs including several nude portraits of supermodels, with work from the likes of Chuck Close, Peter Beard, Robert Mapplethorpe, Helmut Newton and more. One of the top lots is a series of six full frontal nudes of Kate Moss by Chuck Close taken in 2003, estimated at $100,000 - $150,000. Another high-priced draw is a portfolio of 12 semi-nude images of Marilyn Monroe taken in 1962 by Lawrence Schiller, estimated at $50,000 - $70,000. Two Peter Lindbergh portraits of Mick Jagger taken in 1995 are estimated at $30,000 - $50,000. And a nude of Stephanie Seymour by Richard Avedon taken in 1992 is estimated at $20,000 - $30,000, while this relatively tame image of Nadja Auermann by Irving Penn from 1994 is also a relative bargain at $6,000 - $9,000.

Tags: celebrity, Chuck Close, ChuckClose, Helmut Newton, HelmutNewton, Irving Penn, IrvingPenn, Kate Moss, KateMoss, Marilyn Monroe, MarilynMonroe, Mick Jagger, MickJagger, New York, NewYork, nude, Peter Beard, PeterBeard, photographs, photography, Richard Avedon, RichardAvedon, Sothebys, Stephanie Seymour, StephanieSeymour, supermodels

Stefan May: Women Only

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Art, Books

The other day we wrote about some of Helmut Newton's work being offered at auction. Sadly, Newton died in 2004, but a few photographers are carrying on in his spirit of fashion-meets-fine art-meets-erotica. Chief among them is German lensman Stefan May, who has a brilliant, lavish new monograph coming out from teNeues on June 15 titled Women Only. The book, available for pre-order from Amazon, cements May's place as the master of the sensual nude. The collection combines duotone and color images in an imaginative assortment, and the "contrast between photographic modes helps the reader fully appreciate form and texture, as well as interplays of light and shadow." It's also damned hot.

Tags: erotica, Helmut Newton, HelmutNewton, models, nude, photography, sex, Stefan May, StefanMay, teNeues

Helmut Newton & Peter Beard Star in Sotheby's Sale

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Auctions, Art

Masterful works by Helmut Newton and Peter Beard star in Sotheby's Photographs sale in London on Tuesday. Prices have come down from their pre-crash levels so no doubt many of the lots will seem like relative bargains when the market recovers. The sale's highlight is Newton's sexy Mannequins Quai D'Orsay, Paris, 1977 (above), estimated at about $18,000 - $27,000. Also on offer is his Winnie at the Negresco, Nice, 1975, est. at about $9,000 - $12,000. Among the Beard works in the sale are Cheetah Cub Orphans in Mweiga, 1968, est. at about $22,000 - $30,000, and From 'The End of the Game', 1964, est. at about $15,000 - $23,000.

Tags: Helmut Newton, HelmutNewton, Peter Beard, PeterBeard, photographs, Sothebys

Yves Saint Laurent Exhibit Opens in Montreal

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

In conjunction with the 40th anniversary of the house of Yves Saint Laurent, the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts is staging a major retrospective of the designer's creations, the first such show in 25 years. Open as of Thursday, the exhibition "develops the revolutionary nature of a body of work that has marked both the past and the present with a new definition of femininity and left a signature that transcends fashion." Pictured above is one of his most famous designs, the women's tuxedo known as "Le Smoking," as photographed by Helmut Newton in 1975.

The show is divided into four main themes: The Stroke of a Pencil, where "the designer's idea is followed from the original sketch"; The Yves Saint Laurent Revolution, where "feminized versions of men's attire rub shoulders with seductive apparel"; The Palette, which "shows how traditional rules of color harmony were reversed in new contrasts inspired by cross-fertilization"; and our favorite, Lyrical Sources, which "explores the historical, literary -- Marcel Proust, Oscar Wilde, Louis Aragon, Jean Cocteau -- and artistic influences that were interpreted and translated by this genius of couture." The exhibition runs until Sept. 28 and then travels to San Francisco's de Young Museum.

Gallery: Yves Saint Laurent Exhibit

Tags: Fashion, Helmut Newton, HelmutNewton, Jean Cocteau, JeanCocteau, Marcel Proust, MarcelProust, Montreal, Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, MontrealMuseumOfFineArts, YSL, Yves Saint Laurent, YvesSaintLaurent

Bardot, Beatles & Monroe Star in Sotheby's Sale

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Auctions, Art

The buzz at big photo auctions lately has been all about nude supermodels. Perfectly understandable, of course, but how many times can you really stand to see Gisele naked? (OK, no need to answer that). At Sotheby's latest photo sale in London on Tuesday, we're pleased to see some stunning images on offer which while short on supermodel cleavage nonetheless have plenty of appeal. Take for instance this portrait of the beautiful Brigitte Bardot taken by Terry O'Neill 1971 with an estimate of $8,000 - $12,000. Not one of the more expensive items on offer, but worth every penny in our estimation.

Also included in the amazing auction is Helmut Newton's 1975 photo of Elsa Peretti, est. $24,000 - $30,000, and his 1987 portrait of Jodie Foster, est. $14,000 - $18,000; Andy Warhol's Polaroid of Muhammad Ali taken in 1977, est. $10,000 - $14,000; David Bailey's 1969 double portrait of John Lennon and Paul McCartney, est. $20,000 - $30,000; and a recent print made from Bert Stern's famed Marilyn Monroe series (recently aped by Lindsay Lohan), est. $6,000 - $8,000. See the gallery for more.

Gallery: Sotheby's Photo Auction Stars

John Lennon and Paul McCartney by David Bailey.

Source

Tags: Andy Warhol, AndyWarhol, Bert Stern, BertStern, Brigitte Bardot, BrigitteBardot, David Bailey, DavidBailey, Elsa Peretti, ElsaPeretti, Gisele Bundchen, GiseleBundchen, Helmut Newton, HelmutNewton, Jodie Foster, JodieFoster, John Lennon, JohnLennon, Lindsay Lohan, LindsayLohan, London, Marilyn Monroe, MarilynMonroe, Muhammad Ali, MuhammadAli, Paul McCartney, PaulMccartney, Photo auctions, PhotoAuctions, Sothebys, Supermodels, The Beatles, TheBeatles

Celebrities on Sale in Swann Photo Auction

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Auctions, Art

If the nude supermodels in Christie's' upcoming auction are a little out of your price range, but you'd still like to try your hand at starting a photo collection, check out Swann Galleries' NYC sale on May 15. While short on supermodels in their birthday suits, the Swann sale does have some high-profile and provocative celebrity pix at considerably lower prices than the Christie's event.

Highlights include Francesco Scavullo's 1984 portrait of Sting, est. $1,800 - $2,200, pictured here; Roy Schatt's 1954 photo of James Dean, est. $1,500 - $2,500; several works by Herb Ritts including a 1986 Madonna portrait, est. $4,000 - $6,000, and a muscle-bound Fred With Tires, 1984, est. $8,000 - $12,000; a 1977 Christopher Makos photo of Andy Warhol, est. $4,000 - $6,000; and Helmut Newton's 1981 full-frontal Sylvia in My Studio, Paris, est. $4,000 - $6,000. Catch a preview below.

Gallery: Swann Photo Auction

Tags: Andy Warhol, AndyWarhol, Celebrities, Christies, Christopher Makos, ChristopherMakos, Francesco Scavullo, FrancescoScavullo, Helmut Newton, HelmutNewton, James Dean, JamesDean, Madonna, Nudes, Photographs, Sting, Swann Auction Galleries, Swann Galleries, SwannAuctionGalleries, SwannGalleries

The Classicist: Dior and YSL in Paris, 1962

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Apparel, Books, The Classicist

In 1962, Esquire magazine sent photographer Jerry Schatzberg to Paris to cover the behind-the-scenes action at the Christian Dior and Yves Saint Laurent shows, at what promised to be an historic fashion moment. Indeed it was, and Schatzberg's shoot turned out brilliantly; the full results have finally been collected in book form, under the title Paris 1962: Yves Saint Laurent and Christian Dior, The Early Collections. Schatzberg was no mere paparazzo; a renowned fashion photographer and filmmaker, he's perhaps best known for the cover of Bob Dylan's 1966 album Blonde on Blonde. His journalistic, documentary style ran counter to the usual carefully-posed fashion shoots of the time, which gave the 1962 session added urgency. But first, a little background.

Famed designer Christian Dior had died five years earlier, in 1957. Yves Saint Laurent, only 22 years old at the time, had been named as his replacement, creating a stunning new collection in a matter of weeks. Laurent held the appointment for only a short time, however, as he was soon conscripted to serve in the French army during the Algerian War of Independence. The fragile fashionista lasted less than a month before a nervous breakdown saw him committed to a mental institution. Meanwhile, Marc Bohan had taken over at Dior, leading Saint Laurent to file for breach of contract.

Gallery: Dior & YSL, Then and Now