Richard Avedon

Estimate

30,000 - 50,000 EUR

bidding is closed

Description

Richard Avedon
Patricia Wilde, housekeeper, Kalispell, Montana 6/12/81
photograph

Silver print, printed 1985, flush-mounted to aluminium in its original artist frame. On the reverse, signed, numbered 3/6 in black felt tip pen and with copyright stamp.
Edition 3/6 + 2 AP.

Provenance

Richard Avedon Studio, New York
Galerie Zur Stockeregg, Zürich
Private collection, Switzerland

Literature

Laura Wilson, In the American West: Richard Avedon photographs 1979-1984, London, Thames & Hudson, 2005, n.p.

Condition

This work is in overall very good condition. The original frame with a loss of plexiglass at the lower right corner.
"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. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

Catalogue Note

In 1979, Richard Avedon temporarily took a break from the fashion world to travel around the American West. Travelling for five years, 1979 to 1984, through 13 states he made portraits of ordinary people living and working in the American West. The result was his historical series and book 'In The American West'.

Avedon photographed his subjects in precisely the same way: posed in front a white sheet of paper, in the shade using available light and positioned at the same distance from the camera standing up. By using an 8x10 inch Deardorff view camera Avedon was able to be close to the subject and get into their personal space. The power of his portraits not only lies in the composition but also from the exceptional detail of his prints. Besides being rigorous with his prints, the format, the proportions and the framing were well studied and determined their presence in the space and their relationship to the viewer.

The genius of Avedon is also in the way he depicts people that seem completely ordinary and that he sublimes by their presence, their humility and their very personal posture.