- 78
Irving Penn
Estimate
180,000 - 230,000 GBP
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Description
- Irving Penn
- 'Mouth (For L'Oreal), New York', 1986
- PHOTOGRAPH
Dye-transfer print, printed 1992. Signed, titled and dated, with the photographer's stamp, the copyright stamp inscribed 1986, the edition stamp 'Not exceeding 28' initialled and the printing date stamp inscribed 1992 on the reverse. Framed.
Provenance
Hamiltons Gallery, London
Literature
Irving Penn, Passage. A work record, London, Jonathan Cape/ New York, Callaway, 1991, ill. p. 261.
Condition
This remarkable dye-transfer print is in pristine condition.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."
Catalogue Note
Irving Penn’s portrayal of the female lips, a common symbol of beauty and the clichés of the fashion world, marks the artist’s legacy in creating timelessly elegant photographs that captured unexpected and surreal beauty. Smeared with numerous shades of lipstick, the lips appear to mimic a painter’s palette. The model’s somewhat ironic pout suggests that Penn aimed to mock the frontiers of traditional ‘perfect beauty’ presented by beauty brands , particularly as undercurrents of the darker side of surrealism appear with the smothering effect created by the various shades of lipsticks, as if the model’s lips have been stitched shut.
Penn’s technical skill combined with his ability to portray philosophical beauty earned him his place as one of the first photographers to bring artistic sensibility to the medium.