54
Irving Penn
Bee on Lips, New York, September 22
- Estimate
- £50,000 - 70,000
£98,500
Lot Details
Dye transfer print, printed 1999.
1995
40.4 x 57.1 cm (15 7/8 x 22 1/2 in)
Signed, titled, dated, initialled in pencil, Condé Nast copyright credit reproduction limitation, credit and edition stamps on the verso. One from an edition of 11.
Specialist
Full-Cataloguing
Catalogue Essay
Fantastical, surreal, unreal, erotic and technically awe-inspiring are all words which may spring to mind when gazing on Irving Penn’s sumptuous Bee on Lips, New York, September 22, 1995.
Penn’s what could be described as ‘fashionation’ of an image is beautifully embodied in this work. He naturally composes an image of substantial resonance crafted from his sense of beauty, he creates a philosophical and sublime projection instead of what could so easily be a superficial comment. So immaculate and so pristine is the detail throughout the image; the model’s eloquently lined crimson lips combined with the velvety texture of the fluffy bee is instantly beguiling.
As could often be said of Penn’s work, either the genre of ‘Portrait’ or ‘Still-life’ as label could suffice. However, the word ‘Portrait’ could suggest more control coming from the subject whereas here there is a definite feeling of Penn at his most detailed, his most demanding, his most controlling.
Apart from the electric beauty literally buzzing from the image there is also a strange under-current of noir – association with the darker side of surrealism and an aura of potential horror.
Penn’s what could be described as ‘fashionation’ of an image is beautifully embodied in this work. He naturally composes an image of substantial resonance crafted from his sense of beauty, he creates a philosophical and sublime projection instead of what could so easily be a superficial comment. So immaculate and so pristine is the detail throughout the image; the model’s eloquently lined crimson lips combined with the velvety texture of the fluffy bee is instantly beguiling.
As could often be said of Penn’s work, either the genre of ‘Portrait’ or ‘Still-life’ as label could suffice. However, the word ‘Portrait’ could suggest more control coming from the subject whereas here there is a definite feeling of Penn at his most detailed, his most demanding, his most controlling.
Apart from the electric beauty literally buzzing from the image there is also a strange under-current of noir – association with the darker side of surrealism and an aura of potential horror.
Provenance
Literature
Irving Penn
American | B. 1917 D. 2009Irving Penn was one of the 20th century’s most significant photographers, known for his arresting images, technical mastery, and quiet intensity. Though he gained widespread acclaim as a leading Vogue photographer for over sixty years, Penn remained a private figure devoted to his craft. Trained under legendary art director Alexey Brodovitch in Philadelphia, he began his career assisting at Harper’s Bazaar before joining Vogue in 1943, where editor and artist Alexander Liberman recognized Penn’s distinctive eye and encouraged him to pursue photography. Penn’s incomparably elegant fashion studies reset the standard for the magazine world, and his portraits, still lifes, and nude studies broke new ground. His 1960 book Moments Preserved redefined the photographic monograph with its dynamic layout and high-quality reproductions. In 1964, Penn began printing in platinum and palladium, reviving this 19th-century process to serve his own distinct vision. An innovator in every sense, Penn’s approach to photography was endlessly adventurous. Few photographers of his generation experimented as widely with both conventional and historic print processes, and none achieved Penn’s level of excellence in all.
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