Irving Penn

In a career of more than sixty years, Irving Penn (1917-2009) created an extensive and influential body of photographs in portraiture, fashion and still life. He began his career as a photographer in the 1940s working for Vogue in New York where his photographs presented a ground breaking stylistic shift from existing conventions of the time. Within a few years of their making his photographs were seen on the walls of galleries and museums; the first touring exhibition that included his work was organised by MoMA in 1949. A marker of quality and innovation, Penn’s visual language has been assimilated by a wide range of photographers and designers across generations and work resides in the permanent collections of major museums internationally.