Irving Penn American, 1917-2009

Irving Penn was an American photographer known for his mastery of portraits, fashion scenes, and still lifes. Born in New Jersey, he studied painting and design at the Philadelphia Museum School of Industrial Art before starting his career as a graphic designer in New York. It was in the early 1940s that he gained recognition as a photographer for Vogue magazine, under the influence of its artistic director, Alexander Liberman. Penn quickly became a leading figure in fashion photography, renowned for his minimalist images, dramatic lighting, and intimate approach to his models. His work extended beyond fashion, with portraits of celebrities and ethnographic photographs taken during his travels around the world, including in New Guinea, Morocco, and Peru.

Toward the end of his career, Penn turned to still life photography, addressing a range of subjects from cigarette butts to bones, with both a clinical and aesthetic approach. His use of platinum prints in the 1960s, a demanding yet refined technique, gave new life to his works. His photography has been widely exhibited, notably at the MoMA in New York and Tate Modern in London. Throughout his career, Penn skillfully blended elegance and depth in his images, earning him numerous accolades, including the Hasselblad Award in 1985.