Lot Essay
Les engraver’s prints, épreuves originales que Richard Avedon réalise pour Harper’s Bazaar sur les collections haute couture parisiennes, figurent certainement parmi les témoignages les plus précieux de l’histoire de la photographie de mode. Non seulement ces images transmettent avec dynamisme le raffinement, le glamour et la séduction de cette période magique de la mode parisienne d’après-guerre, mais les objets eux-mêmes, avec leurs cachets et leurs annotations, nous plongent dans l’excitation du processus éditorial de l’époque. Avedon a mis ces photographies à l’honneur dans la série Made in France qui a fait l’objet d’une publication et d’une exposition en 2001. Ce tirage unique figure l’un des modèles préférés de Richard Avedon, Dovima, dont l’intuition performative en réponse à sa direction dynamise véritablement l’image.
The original engraver’s prints of Richard Avedon’s coverage of the Paris haute couture collections for Harper’s Bazaar are surely among the most precious documents in the history of fashion photography. Not only do the images convey so dynamically the refinement, glamour, and seduction of this magical period in post-war Paris fashion, but the objects themselves, with their stamps and annotations, bring to life the excitement of the editorial and production process. Avedon notably celebrated such prints in his 2001 publication and related exhibition Made in France. The present work features one of Avedon’s favourite models from this time, Dovima, whose performative intuition in response to his direction so effectively energises the picture.
Philippe Garner
The original engraver’s prints of Richard Avedon’s coverage of the Paris haute couture collections for Harper’s Bazaar are surely among the most precious documents in the history of fashion photography. Not only do the images convey so dynamically the refinement, glamour, and seduction of this magical period in post-war Paris fashion, but the objects themselves, with their stamps and annotations, bring to life the excitement of the editorial and production process. Avedon notably celebrated such prints in his 2001 publication and related exhibition Made in France. The present work features one of Avedon’s favourite models from this time, Dovima, whose performative intuition in response to his direction so effectively energises the picture.
Philippe Garner