Irving Penn was one of the most important photographers of the 20th century. Born in New Jersey in 1917, he is rightly renowned for his meticulousness, minimalist style, mastery of printmaking and bold artistic experiments. Penn had an uncanny ability to infuse his photographs with a sense of timelessness and narrative depth, whether capturing the tired eyes of workers, the serene beauty of models or the poignancy of aging flowers. His work is characterised by a relentless pursuit of perfection and an unerring eye for detail, which extended to his meticulous approach to printmaking.
Penn was a regular contributor to Vogue magazine for over seven decades, revolutionising fashion photography by photographing models against neutral backgrounds to highlight fabrics, gestures and expression. His work in the fashion world not only redefined the genre, but also set new standards of artistic and technical excellence.
Although best known for his psychologically penetrating portraits, Penn was a prolific artist whose career spanned a wide range of interests over seventy years until his death in 2009 in Manhattan, New York, United States.
