S otheby’s is delighted to offer a curated group of works by three iconic photographers – Terry O’Neill, Norman Parkinson and Douglas Kirkland, in collaboration with archivist Iconic Images. This selection brings collectors vibrant, playful and seminal photographs reminiscent of sun-kissed summer days. Spanning over three decades, these works feature artists, film stars, and icons of music who have helped shape popular culture during the last century.
Considered as one of the pioneers of fashion photography, Norman Parkinson revolutionised the classic vision of the 1950s by shooting the models outside the studio in dynamic and glamorous poses. Early adaptor of colour photography, he was one of the first to add a splash of colours to magazine editorials and travelled the world with his models to find the most exotic scenery for his shots.
His refreshing and ground-breaking style would inspire the next generation of photographers, including Terry O’Neill and Douglas Kirkland, who would carry on his legacy of vivid and playful fashion shots.
The artistic development of the music and film industries in the 1960s brought artists to the rank of celebrities. Some of the most recognisable artists such as Frank Sinatra, Audrey Hepburn, Faye Dunaway and Brigitte Bardot were then captured at the peak of their fame in these timeless photographs that became as iconic as their sitters.
Film sets have always been a wonderful playground for photographers. This space allowed them full creativity while having access to some of the most iconic people in pop culture. Terry O’Neill established a long-lasting relationship with Hollywood rising stars which would lead to encounters with Sean Connery and Audrey Hepburn amongst others. Prior to Terry O’Neill, Norman Parkinson and Douglas Kirkland also captured iconic films in the making and make adventurous film sets of their own as can be seen in ‘Art of Travel II ’ and ‘Britt Ekland and Peter Sellers as Paparazzo, Rome, 1965’.
