Irving Penn, poet with a camera
A new exhibition at the National Gallery in Washington, DC, showcases late works by the photographer Irving Penn, whose long career encompassed fashion photography, portraits of the famous and the obscure, and still life. Among the memorable images in this show are portraits of Picasso, Colette, and David Smith; innovative fashion shots for Vogue; and ethnic studies such as the portrait of two Cuzco Indian children, solemn and dignified in their native dress.
Penn was a member of the Guiding Faculty of Famous Photographers School, a sister organization of Famous Artists School. The manuals for the Famous Photographers School, full of illustrative images made by Penn and the other Guiding Faculty members such as Richard Avedon, Alfred Eisenstaedt, and Philippe Halsman, are a true inspiration for any photography buff.
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