2017 marks the centenary of the birthday of one of the greatest photographers of the 20th century - Irving Penn. To celebrate his life and career, the Grand Palais, in collaboration with The Irving Penn Foundation and the Metropolitan Museum of Art, hosts the first major retrospective of the American artist’s work in France since his death in 2009. Comprising over 235 photographic prints, as well as some personal drawings and paintings, the exhibiton features famous faces including Picasso and Audrey Hepburn.
Irving Penn gives a complete overview of various genres he lent his hand to: fashion, still life, portraits, nudes, beauty. With his fine arts background, Irving Penn developed a body of visual work that is defined by its elegant simplicity, a taste for minimalism and an astonishing rigour, evident from the studio to the darkroom, where he perfected his unique photographic prints.