Irving Penn

Avedon Nude of Stephanie Seymour Expected to Fetch $210,000

A racy nude portrait of supermodel Stephanie Seymour (detail above) taken by the late, great Richard Avedon in 1992 is expected to fetch up to $210,000 at Sotheby's' Photographies sale in Paris on November 19. Part of a private European collection, the image will bolster the strength of the photography market if it achieves its price. Though most of the lots date from the early 1900s, the stunning sale also includes an Albert Watson portrait of Naomi Campbell from 1989 and a David LaChapelle portait of Andy Warhol from 1987 taken shortly before the artist's death, both estimated at up to $21,000; and a Herb Ritts portrait of Madonna from 1986, expected to fetch up to $10,000. Notable works by Irving Penn, Ansel Adams, Edward Weston and more round out the offerings.

Tags: Albert Watson, Andy Warhol, auction, David LaChapelle, Irving Penn, Madonna, Naomi Campbell, nude, Paris, Phtography, Richard Avedon, Sothebys, Stephanie Seymour, supermodel

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

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Auctions, Art

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

The Penetrating Portraits of Irving Penn

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Art, Books

What do Pablo Picasso, Duke Ellington, Marlene Dietrich, Francis Bacon, Truman Capote, Helmut Newton and Jasper Johns have in common? All are featured in a brilliant new book of portraits by the late, great master of photography Irving Penn, who sought to capture the true persona behind the facade of famous figures. Published by the National Portrait Gallery in London in conjunction with an exhibition running at the museum through June 6, Irving Penn: Portraits features images brought together from major international collections for the exhibit. It includes a selection of superb reproductions from the exhibition's 120 silver and platinum prints, ranging from Penn's portraits for Vogue magazine in the 1940s to some of his last work prior to his death last year.

Tags: art books, coffee table books, ehibition, Francis Bacon, Irving Penn, London, museum, photographer, photography, UK, Vogue

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