NEW YORK—An extraordinary group of works by photographer Richard Avedon (1923-2004), one of the most important artists of the 20th century, will be offered by Christie’s Paris at an evening sale on Nov. 20. The sale collection, Avedon: Photographs from The Richard Avedon Foundation, will be on exhibit in New York at Christie’s from Oct. 1-7.
The sale consists of more than 60 Avedon photographs, the largest ensemble of his works to ever hit the market, plus several unique and extremely rare items. Avedon’s work covered the most prominent figures of his time, icons of political and social significance, as well as groundbreaking fashion.
Avedon is one of the most recognized and influential figures of photography, the defining medium of the 20th century. The scope and inventiveness of his portraiture and fashion imagery have long been recognized by leading curators, art historians, and most recently through a series of monographic exhibitions and books.
Avedon wrote: “A portrait is not a likeness. The moment an emotion or fact is transformed into a photograph it is no longer a fact, but an opinion. There is no such thing as inaccuracy in a photograph. All photographs are accurate. None of them is the truth.”
The sale consists of more than 60 Avedon photographs, the largest ensemble of his works to ever hit the market, plus several unique and extremely rare items. Avedon’s work covered the most prominent figures of his time, icons of political and social significance, as well as groundbreaking fashion.
Avedon is one of the most recognized and influential figures of photography, the defining medium of the 20th century. The scope and inventiveness of his portraiture and fashion imagery have long been recognized by leading curators, art historians, and most recently through a series of monographic exhibitions and books.
Avedon wrote: “A portrait is not a likeness. The moment an emotion or fact is transformed into a photograph it is no longer a fact, but an opinion. There is no such thing as inaccuracy in a photograph. All photographs are accurate. None of them is the truth.”
A native New Yorker, Avedon was born in 1923 and started to take photographs with a Kodak Brownie Box camera at age 12. Following service during World War II as a photographer in the U.S. Merchant Marine, Avedon’s rise to the pinnacle of editorial fashion and portraiture was meteoric.
“Here, in this sale, you have a pantheon of the great creative figures of the 20th century. In addition to landmark images of the glamor and elegance of fashion at its most sophisticated, we have intense, commanding pictures that confront the human condition,” said Philippe Garner, International Head of Christie’s 20th Century Decorative Art & Photographs departments.
“Here, in this sale, you have a pantheon of the great creative figures of the 20th century. In addition to landmark images of the glamor and elegance of fashion at its most sophisticated, we have intense, commanding pictures that confront the human condition,” said Philippe Garner, International Head of Christie’s 20th Century Decorative Art & Photographs departments.
Early in his career at Harper’s Bazaar, he developed a great affinity for Paris, and photographed the fashion collections there for over 40 years. Dovima with elephants, evening dress by Dior, Cirque d’Hiver, Paris (estimate: $500,000-700,000), his best-known image from Paris, is one of the highlights of the sale.
The Dovima print being offered is the largest exhibition print in existence, shown during the national tour of Avedon’s 1978 Metropolitan Museum of Art fashion retrospective. The evening dress was the first one designed for Christian Dior by his new assistant, Yves Saint-Laurent, now a renowned fashion designer.
Avedon’s love of French culture, reflected in his joyful and energetic fashion images from the 1950’s, helped restore vibrancy to the City of Light in the aftermath of World War II.
The Dovima print being offered is the largest exhibition print in existence, shown during the national tour of Avedon’s 1978 Metropolitan Museum of Art fashion retrospective. The evening dress was the first one designed for Christian Dior by his new assistant, Yves Saint-Laurent, now a renowned fashion designer.
Avedon’s love of French culture, reflected in his joyful and energetic fashion images from the 1950’s, helped restore vibrancy to the City of Light in the aftermath of World War II.
Avedon breathed life into fashion photography, transforming static poses into dynamic vignettes that danced off the page. Notable works in the sale depict the famous models Veruschka, Jean Shrimpton and Twiggy, ranging in price from $15,000-$30,000.
Avedon’s classical works being offered include a unique, vintage print of his iconic portrait of Marilyn Monroe (estimate: $100,000-150,000) and Brigitte Bardot (estimate: $70,000-90,000). Also included are political leaders such as Malcolm X (estimate: $60,000-90,000) and the Dalai Lama (estimate: $10,000-15,000).
A key highlight is The Beatles Portfolio from London, England (estimate: $300,000- 500,000), which include Avedon’s well known but rarely available set of four psychedelic portraits of John Lennon, George Harrison, Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr.
“Avedon’s sense of the zeitgeist was extraordinary, and throughout his career it never faded,” commented Paul Roth Executive Director of The Richard Avedon Foundation. “For half a century, in portraiture and in fashion, he repeatedly produced iconic images comprising a collective vision of the times.”
Avedon’s classical works being offered include a unique, vintage print of his iconic portrait of Marilyn Monroe (estimate: $100,000-150,000) and Brigitte Bardot (estimate: $70,000-90,000). Also included are political leaders such as Malcolm X (estimate: $60,000-90,000) and the Dalai Lama (estimate: $10,000-15,000).
A key highlight is The Beatles Portfolio from London, England (estimate: $300,000- 500,000), which include Avedon’s well known but rarely available set of four psychedelic portraits of John Lennon, George Harrison, Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr.
“Avedon’s sense of the zeitgeist was extraordinary, and throughout his career it never faded,” commented Paul Roth Executive Director of The Richard Avedon Foundation. “For half a century, in portraiture and in fashion, he repeatedly produced iconic images comprising a collective vision of the times.”
Proceeds from the November sale will be used by the Avedon Foundation to create an endowment fund. Using this fund, the Foundation will pursue aspects of its mission, such as organizing the photographer’s archive, providing access to the collections for scholars, students and other researchers, and creating educational programs devoted to Avedon’s life and work.
Proceeds from the sale will also support the philanthropic work of the Foundation, the funding of projects and initiatives related to photography and photographic education.
Proceeds from the sale will also support the philanthropic work of the Foundation, the funding of projects and initiatives related to photography and photographic education.
