Irving Penn

signed, titled, dated, and annotated in ink and stamped on the reverse, framed, 1948, printed no later than 1974, one from an edition of no more than 30 gelatin silver prints

Pace/MacGill Gallery, New York, circa 1986

Irving Penn, Moments Preserved (New York, 1960), pp. 98-9

Irving Penn, Worlds in a Small Room (New York, 1974), p. 13

John Szarkowski, Irving Penn (The Museum of Modern Art, 1984), pl. 5

Irving Penn, Passage: A Work Record (New York, 1991), p. 61

Colin Westerbeck, ed., Irving Penn: A Career in Photography (The Art Institute of Chicago, 1997), pl. 16

Irving Penn, A Notebook at Random (New York, 2004), p. 91

This photograph, on semi-glossy double-weight paper, is in generally very good condition. Upon close examination, a 1½-inch wishbone-shaped crease is visible in the upper left quadrant, which may break the emulsion intermittently. In raking light, a small thin deposit of original retouching is visible above the leftmost sitter's head. Scattered tiny matte areas, possibly foxing, are visible only upon the closest examination in raking light in the upper corners of the image and margins. The margin edges are somewhat unevenly trimmed: the left and right margins are approximately 3/4-inch wide and the upper and lower margins are no more than an 1/8-inch wide. The tip of the lower right margin corner is sharply creased. On the reverse of the print are the photographer's credit and copyright/reproduction rights stamps in red ink. Also on the reverse are his edition and Condé Nast stamps, dated '1960' in ink. REF. '9350'; '17272 P- 395'; and 'J. B.' are written in an unidentified hand in pencil. There is faint soiling on the reverse near the print's edges. Our dating of this print is based upon the photographer's notations on the reverse: 'Print made before 1975.'
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.