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Portrait Photography For Sale
Period: 20th Century
Period: 19th Century
'Golfing Pals' (1977) - Slim Aarons Limited Edition Estate Stamped Print
Located in London, GB
Golfing Pals (1977) - Limited Edition Estate Stamped Print (Photo By Slim Aarons) At the 16th hole on Pebble Beach golf course, singer and film star Bi...
Category

1970s Modern Portrait Photography

Materials

C Print, Color

Christopher Reeve NYC, Contemporary, Celebrity, Photography, Portrait
Located in München, BY
Printed later Combined Edition 10 Also available in 101 x 127 cm 40 x 50 inch and as combined Edition 25 in 40 x 50 cm / 16 x 20 inch 50 x 60 cm/ 20 x 24 inch Black and white Portrait of American actor, writer and director Christopher Reeve...
Category

1980s Contemporary Portrait Photography

Materials

Archival Pigment

Gondolier at the Rialto Bridge, Venice, 1950s
Located in Cologne, DE
This black-and-white photograph captures a gondolier working along the Grand Canal in Venice, with the famous Rialto Bridge in the background. The gondolier, dressed in traditional a...
Category

1950s Modern Portrait Photography

Materials

Black and White

Untitled (Man on Couch)
Located in New York, NY
Gelatin silver print Signed in pencil, verso This artwork is offered by ClampArt, located in New York City. Born in Vinhedo, a small town on the outskirts of Sao Paulo, Brazil, Walter Briski, Jr. began his interests in photography at the age of thirteen. He later moved to the city of Sao Paulo to pursue his passion, and after completing his studies at the Pontificia Universidade Catolica de Campinas, he began his career as a fashion photographer working with top national magazines such as “Brazilian Vogue,” “Brazilian Interview,” and “Trip.” Soon after, Briski moved to New York City in pursuit of advancing his career. In search of strengthening his art, he learned to master the technique of black-and-white printing while employed at a highly ranked film production house. There, he printed works for artists such as Bruce Weber, Annie Leibovitz, Gordon Parks, Matthew Barney, Steven Klein, Steven Meisel, Steven Sebring, and Ellen Von Unwerth. In the midst of printing images that were reproduced in magazines such as “Vogue,” “Harper’s Bazaar,” “W,” “L’Uomo Vogue,” “I.D.,” “Arena,” “The New York Times Magazine,” and “Interview,” he also began printing his own photographs. Briski has had the wonderful opportunity to work with top models and celebrities, including the Brewer twins, Carole King...
Category

1990s Other Art Style Portrait Photography

Materials

Silver Gelatin

John F Kennedy Smiling in Sunglasses
Located in Austin, TX
Black and white candid capture of President John F. Kennedy smiling in sunglasses. John F. Kennedy was an American politician who served as the 35th president of the United States f...
Category

1960s Contemporary Portrait Photography

Materials

Archival Ink, Archival Paper, Archival Pigment

Audrey Hepburn in Her Dressing Room, 1953
Located in New York, NY
Audrey Hepburn, c16_12 -- Audrey Hepburn in her dressing room. Out take from the photo essay shot for the December 7, 1953 issue of LIFE. Image size is 13.75" x 20" (for 17" x 22" pa...
Category

1950s Modern Portrait Photography

Materials

Giclée

Valentine
Located in New York, NY
Digital C-print Signed, dated, and numbered, verso 15 x 15 inches, image (Edition of 25) 22 x 22 inches, image (Edition of 15) 31 x 31 inches, image (Edition of 15) This photograph is offered by ClampArt, located in New York City. A stylistic precursor of such artists as Pierre et Gilles...
Category

1960s Other Art Style Portrait Photography

Materials

C Print

Batman and Batgirl Classical Portrait
Located in Austin, TX
Classic black and white promotional still of Adam West for his role as Batman, and Yvonne Joyce Craig for her role as Batgirl, circa 1967. Batman is an American live-action televisi...
Category

1960s Contemporary Portrait Photography

Materials

Archival Ink, Archival Paper, Archival Pigment

Andy Garcia LA, Photography, blackandwhite, celebrity, portrait, contemporary
Located in München, BY
Printed later Combined Edition 10 Also available in 76 x 101 cm / 30 x 40 inch and as combined Edition 25 in 40 x 50 cm/ 16 x 20 inch 50 x 60 cm/ 20 x 24 inch Black and white Portra...
Category

1990s Contemporary Portrait Photography

Materials

Archival Pigment

Naomi Campbell
Located in München, BY
Total Edition of 15 signed and numbered Also available in: 100 x 100 cm / 39.4 x 39.4 in Black and white portrait of Supermodel Naomi Campbell in Paris...
Category

1990s Contemporary Portrait Photography

Materials

Black and White

The Beatles, Black and White Photography, Studio Shoot of 1976, 20, 2 x 15, 9 cm
Located in Cologne, DE
The Beatles were an English rock band formed in Liverpool in 1960. With a line-up comprising John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr, they are regarded as the mo...
Category

1970s Modern Portrait Photography

Materials

Silver Gelatin

Ann Miller as a Witch
Located in Austin, TX
Black and white portrait of actress Ann Miller posed in a witch costume, circa 1946. Ann Miller was an American actress and dancer. She is best remembered for her work in the classi...
Category

1940s Contemporary Portrait Photography

Materials

Archival Ink, Archival Paper, Archival Pigment

Jayne Mansfield: Modern Pinup
Located in Austin, TX
This beautiful modern pinup features the lovely Jayne Mansfield posed on barstools with modern art on the walls. Jayne Mansfield was an American film, theater, and television actre...
Category

1950s Contemporary Portrait Photography

Materials

Archival Ink, Archival Paper, Digital, Archival Pigment

Woman, Dog, Bed
Located in Sante Fe, NM
Staging Pictures: Early Polaroids focuses on Stivers' working Polaroid prints, shot with a Hasselblad Polaroid back for instant proofing of lighting and composition of his subjects. ...
Category

1980s Contemporary Portrait Photography

Materials

Silver Gelatin

Marilyn Monroe in Nightgown for Gentlemen Prefer Blondes Vintage Press Print
Located in Austin, TX
Black and white promo photo of Marilyn Monroe posed in a a black nightgown for her role in "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes", circa 1953. -- One-of-a-kind original vintage press print from...
Category

1950s Contemporary Portrait Photography

Materials

Black and White

Rita Hayworth Sunbathing
Located in Austin, TX
Black and white candid image of Rita Hayworth in Burbank, walking along a beautiful street scene. This listing is for a limited edition archival print. What's included: - Limited ...
Category

1930s Contemporary Portrait Photography

Materials

Archival Ink, Archival Paper, Digital, Archival Pigment

Koylia, Finland (Two Kittens Playing in a Field)
Located in Sante Fe, NM
Pentti Sammallahti was born in 1950 in Helsinki, Finland. Sammallahti was surrounded by works from his grandmother, Hildur Larsson, who was a photographer in the early 1900s. Sammallahti has been photographing the world around him with a poetic eye since the age of eleven. At the age of nine, he visited "The Family of Man...
Category

1970s Minimalist Portrait Photography

Materials

Silver Gelatin

Bette Davis: Captivating Eyes
Located in Austin, TX
Black and white head and shoudlers portrait of actress Bette Davis looking upward with captivating eyes. Bette Davis was an American actress of film, television, and theater. Regard...
Category

1930s Contemporary Portrait Photography

Materials

Archival Ink, Archival Paper, Archival Pigment

Dolly Parton in a Cadillac by Jim Herrington
Located in Austin, TX
Dolly Parton in Joelton, Tennessee, 1997. 17x22" Archival pigment print on baryta 315 gsm, acid-free, 100% cotton-fiber paper. Edition 75 Signed on recto by photographer Jim Herrin...
Category

Late 20th Century Photorealist Portrait Photography

Materials

Archival Pigment

The Beatles, Our World 1967
Located in Austin, TX
Signed limited edition print of The Beatles by Alec Byrne, taken at Abbey Road Studios, London, Jun. 24, 1967 Alec recalls “This wasn’t just any band: It was the Beatles. Everyone w...
Category

Late 20th Century Photorealist Portrait Photography

Materials

Archival Pigment, Silver Gelatin

Hollywood Boulevard, 1960s
Located in Cologne, DE
This black-and-white photograph captures the iconic Hollywood Boulevard in the 1960s, offering a snapshot of the bustling street scene. The view from inside a car shows a variety of ...
Category

1960s Modern Portrait Photography

Materials

Black and White

Humphrey Bogart: Film Noir Superstar
Located in Austin, TX
Humphrey Bogart is remembered as a beloved American film star. He starred in 75 movies over his 30 year career. Although Bogart is known for his film acting, he began his career on B...
Category

1940s Contemporary Portrait Photography

Materials

Archival Ink, Archival Paper, Archival Pigment

Sailors on the Subway from Coney Island
Located in Denton, TX
Edition 4/200 Signed, dated and numbered in black ink on print margin by Harold Feinstein Harold Feinstein was born in Coney Island, New York, in 1931. He began photographing in 19...
Category

20th Century American Modern Portrait Photography

Materials

Silver Gelatin

Apres Ski, Gstaad, Switzerland, Estate Edition, Winter Portrait Photograph
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Apres Ski, Gstaad, Switzerland, Estate Edition, Portrait Photography This early 1960s landscape photograph, captured by society photographer Slim Aarons, features a group of women r...
Category

1960s American Realist Portrait Photography

Materials

Lambda

David Bowie, at the Kempinski hotel, Berlin, 1983 by Denis O'Regan
Located in Austin, TX
Fine art 20x24" print of David Bowie in his room at the Kempinski Hotel, Berlin, 1983 by acclaimed photographer, Denis O'Regan, where he was the official tour photographer for David ...
Category

1980s Portrait Photography

Materials

Archival Pigment

Michael Jackson, Los Angeles, 21st Century, Contemporary, Celebrity, Photography
Located in München, BY
Edition 10 Also available in 40 x 50 cm / 16 x 20 inch, Edition 25 Black and white portrait of famous singer and songwriter Michael Jackson. From personality portraits and adverti...
Category

1980s Contemporary Portrait Photography

Materials

Archival Pigment

Harlem NY, Black and White Photography African American Life 1960s, Fashion Show
Located in New york, NY
Fashion Show, 1963, Harlem, USA by Leonard Freed, is a 11” x 14” gelatin silver print, which appears in the photographer's seminal Black in White America book (p. 104). The photograp...
Category

1960s Contemporary Portrait Photography

Materials

Photographic Film, Photographic Paper, Silver Gelatin

Audrey Hepburn Glamour Portrait in Tulle
Located in Austin, TX
Great capture of the glamorous Audrey Hepburn posed leaning on a small table, dripping in jewels and beauty. British actress and humanitarian Audrey Hepburn is regarded as one of t...
Category

1960s Contemporary Portrait Photography

Materials

Archival Ink, Archival Paper, Digital, Archival Pigment

Brigitte Bardot in Bed with Dog
Located in Austin, TX
Black and white candid capture of actress Brigitte Bardot lying in bed with a dog under the sheets. Brigitte Bardot is a French former actress, singer, and model as well as an anima...
Category

1960s Contemporary Portrait Photography

Materials

Archival Ink, Archival Paper, Archival Pigment

Star Wars, Imperial Guard, Sience Fiction Filmstill, 1977
Located in Cologne, DE
The original Star Wars trilogy, formerly marketed as the Star Wars Trilogy (and colloquially referred to as the 'original trilogy'), is the first set of three films produced in the S...
Category

1970s Modern Portrait Photography

Materials

Black and White

David Bowie The Archer - New special edition
Located in Austin, TX
NEW - Special limited edition series produced for the 2023 David Bowie Worldwide Fan Convention in June 2023. This iconic image of David Bowie as The Thin White Duke was taken by re...
Category

Late 20th Century Photorealist Portrait Photography

Materials

Archival Pigment

Andy Warhol, Photograph of Valentino (Garavani), 1973
Located in Santa Monica, CA
The Italian fashion designer Valentino Clemente Ludovico Garavani founded the couture label Valentino in 1960. Image dimensions: 4.25 x 3.375 Framed dimensions: 11 x 10.5 in. Work...
Category

1970s Pop Art Portrait Photography

Materials

Polaroid

Max and Radha sitting on Rock (Long Way Home) - featuring Radha Mitchell, analog
Located in Morongo Valley, CA
Max and Radha sitting on Rock (Long Way Home) - 1999 featuring Radha Mitchell 38x37cm, Edition of 10, plus 2 Artist Proofs. Archival C-Print based on the Polaroid. Certificate an...
Category

1990s Pop Art Portrait Photography

Materials

Photographic Paper, C Print, Polaroid, Archival Paper, Color

Mick and Bianca in Paris
By Michael Norcia
Located in Austin, TX
Mick Jagger and Bianca Perez posed candid in doorway during a visit to Paris, September 1971. Mick Jagger is an English singer, songwriter, actor, and film producer who has achiev...
Category

1970s Contemporary Portrait Photography

Materials

Archival Ink, Archival Paper, Digital, Archival Pigment

Elizabeth Taylor Behind the Scenes
Located in Austin, TX
This iconic and elegant portrait captured by celebrity photographer Frank Worth features actress Elizabeth Taylor on the set of the film "Giant" for her role as character Leslie Bene...
Category

1950s Contemporary Portrait Photography

Materials

Archival Ink, Archival Paper, Digital

Elton John, Contemporary, Celebrity, Photography, Portrait
Located in München, BY
Combined Edition 25 Also available in 50 x 60 cm/ 20 x 24 inch and as combined Edition 10 in 76 x 101 cm / 30 x 40 inch 101 x 127 cm / 40 x 50 inch Portrait of British singer and s...
Category

1990s Contemporary Portrait Photography

Materials

Archival Pigment

Linda Ronstadt by Lynn Goldsmith, framed first print of the edition #1/20
Located in Austin, TX
Fine art print country legend, Linda Ronstadt, taken by Lynn Goldsmith in 1978 Framed with a stylish metal frame and non-glare museum glass, signed lim...
Category

Late 20th Century Photorealist Portrait Photography

Materials

C Print

Sonny Bono With His Dog
Located in Austin, TX
Sonny Bono was an American singer, songwriter, actor, and politician. In partnership with his second wife, Cher, he formed the singing duo Sonny & Cher. A member of the Republican Pa...
Category

1960s Contemporary Portrait Photography

Materials

Archival Ink, Archival Paper, Archival Pigment

Helena Christensen, Marrakech
Located in München, BY
Edition of 20 Portrait of the young Supermodel Helena Christensen. Fashion and fine art embrace each other in the photography of Jacques Olivar (b...
Category

1990s Contemporary Portrait Photography

Materials

Archival Pigment

Natalie Wood Arriving at Heathrow Airport
Located in Austin, TX
Candid capture of Natalie Wood arriving at London's Heathrow airport from Paris for holiday in 1969. Wood started acting at age four and was given a co-starring role at age eight in...
Category

1960s Contemporary Portrait Photography

Materials

Archival Ink, Archival Paper, Archival Pigment

Queen Elizabeth II Wears a Tassel - Photograph - 1963
Located in Roma, IT
Queen Elizabeth II wears a tassel is a vintage b/w photograph realized in the 1958. Good conditions. Stamped on the rear.
Category

1960s Contemporary Portrait Photography

Materials

Photographic Paper

Paul McCartney, London Bridge, Black and White Photography, 17, 6 x 23, 8 cm
Located in Cologne, DE
The Beatles were an English rock band formed in Liverpool in 1960. With a line-up comprising John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr, they are regarded as the mo...
Category

1970s Modern Portrait Photography

Materials

Silver Gelatin

Barbara Stanwyck in Fur Stole
Located in Austin, TX
Black and white capture of actress Barbara Stanwyck in fur stole. Barbara Stanwyck was an American actress, model and dancer. A stage, film, and television star, during her 60-year...
Category

1930s Contemporary Portrait Photography

Materials

Archival Ink, Archival Paper, Archival Pigment

The Utah-Arizona borderline, Coral Pink Sand Dunes, 1960s
Located in Cologne, DE
The black-and-white photograph 1960s captures the serene yet expansive beauty of the desert landscape. The image features a lone figure standing at the edge of a vast expanse of sand...
Category

1960s Modern Portrait Photography

Materials

Black and White

Audrey Hepburn Applying Makeup Glamour Shot
Located in Austin, TX
Audrey Hepburn applying make-up during the filming of the made for TV movie "Mayerling". Audrey Hepburn was a British actress. Recognised as a film and fashion icon, she was ranked ...
Category

1950s Contemporary Portrait Photography

Materials

Archival Ink, Archival Paper, Archival Pigment

Tennis in The Bahamas, 1957 - Limited Edition Estate Stamped Digital C-Type
Located in Brighton, GB
Please note that as of 1st March 2025, the Slim Aarons Estate Stamped Collection aligned its pricing across the entire collection. Please bear in mind that all prints are produced t...
Category

20th Century American Modern Portrait Photography

Materials

Photographic Paper, Color, C Print, Digital

Nicola (Nicky) Weymouth, unique acetate positive of British socialite provenance
Located in New York, NY
Andy Warhol Nicola (Nicky) Weymouth, ca. 1976 Acetate positive, acquired directly from Chromacomp, Inc. Andy Warhol's printer in the 1970s. Accompanied by a Letter of Provenance from the representative of Chromacomp Unique Frame included: Elegantly framed in a museum quality white wood frame with UV plexiglass: Measurements: Frame: 18 x 15.5 x 1.5 inches Acetate: 11 x 8 inches This is the original, unique photographic acetate positive taken by Andy Warhol as the basis for his portrait of Nicky Weymouth, that came from Andy Warhol's studio, The Factory to his printer. It was acquired directly from Chromacomp, Inc. Andy Warhol's printer in the 1970s. It is accompanied by a Letter of Provenance from the representative of Chromacomp. This is one of the images used by Andy Warhol to create his iconic portrait of the socialite Nicola Samuel Weymouth, also called Nicky Weymouth, Nicky Waymouth, Nicky Lane Weymouth or Nicky Samuel. Weymouth (nee Samuel) was a British socialite, who went on to briefly marry the jewelry designer Kenneth Lane, whom she met through Warhol. This acetate positive is unique, and was sent to Chromacomp because Warhol was considering making a silkscreen out of this portrait. As Bob Colacello, former Editor in Chief of Interview magazine (and right hand man to Andy Warhol), explained, "many hands were involved in the rather mechanical silkscreening process... but only Andy in all the years I knew him, worked on the acetates." An acetate is a photographic negative or positive transferred to a transparency, allowing an image to be magnified and projected onto a screen. As only Andy worked on the acetates, it was the last original step prior to the screenprinting of an image, and the most important element in Warhol's creative process for silkscreening. Warhol realized the value of his unique original acetates like this one, and is known to have traded the acetates for valuable services. This acetate was brought by Warhol to Eunice and Jackson Lowell, owners of Chromacomp, a fine art printing studio in NYC, and was acquired directly from the Lowell's private collection. During the 1970s and 80s, Chromacomp was the premier atelier for fine art limited edition silkscreen prints; indeed, Chromacomp was the largest studio producing fine art prints in the world for artists such as Andy Warhol, Leroy Neiman, Erte, Robert Natkin, Larry Zox, David Hockney and many more. All of the plates were done by hand and in some cases photographically. Famed printer Alexander Heinrici worked for Eunice & Jackson Lowell at Chromacomp and brought Andy Warhol in as an account. Shortly after, Warhol or his workers brought in several boxes of photographs, paper and/or acetates and asked Jackson Lowell to use his equipment to enlarge certain images or portions of images. Warhol made comments and or changes and asked the Lowells to print some editions; others were printed elsewhere. Chromacomp Inc. ended up printing Warhol's Mick Jagger Suite and the Ladies & Gentlemen Suite, as well as other works, based on the box of photographic acetates that Warhol brought to them. The Lowell's allowed the printer to be named as Alexander Heinrici rather than Chromacomp, since Heinrici was the one who brought the account in. Other images were never printed by Chromacomp- they were simply being considered by Warhol. Warhol left the remaining acetates with Eunice and Jackson Lowell. After the Lowells closed the shop, the photographs were packed away where they remained for nearly a quarter of a century. This work is exactly as it was delivered from the factory. Unevenly cut by Warhol himself. This work is accompanied by a signed letter of provenance from the representative of Chromacomp, Andy Warhol's printer for many of his works in the 1970s. About Andy Warhol: Isn’t life a series of images that change as they repeat themselves? —Andy Warhol Andy Warhol’s (1928–1987) art encapsulates the 1960s through the 1980s in New York. By imitating the familiar aesthetics of mass media, advertising, and celebrity culture, Warhol blurred the boundaries between his work and the world that inspired it, producing images that have become as pervasive as their sources. Warhol grew up in a working-class suburb of Pittsburgh. His parents were Slovak immigrants, and he was the only member of his family to attend college. He entered the Carnegie Institute of Technology (now Carnegie Mellon University) in 1945, where he majored in pictorial design. After graduation, he moved to New York with fellow student Philip Pearlstein and found steady work as a commercial illustrator at several magazines, including Vogue, Harper’s Bazaar, and the New Yorker. Throughout the 1950s Warhol enjoyed a successful career as a commercial artist, winning several commendations from the Art Directors Club and the American Institute of Graphic Arts. He had his first solo exhibition at the Hugo Gallery in 1952, showing drawings based on the writings of Truman Capote; three years later his work was included in a group show at the Museum of Modern Art for the first time. The year 1960 marked a turning point in Warhol’s prolific career. He painted his first works based on comics and advertisements, enlarging and transferring the source images onto canvas using a projector. In 1961 Warhol showed these hand-painted works, including Little King (1961) and Saturday’s Popeye (1961), in a window display at the department store Bonwit Teller; in 1962 he painted his famous Campbell’s Soup Cans, thirty-two separate canvases, each depicting a canned soup of a different flavor. Soon after, Warhol began to borrow not only the subject matter of printed media, but the technology as well. Incorporating the silkscreen technique, he created grids of stamps, Coca-Cola bottles, shipping and handling labels, dollar bills, coffee labels...
Category

1970s Pop Art Portrait Photography

Materials

Photographic Film

Pink Debbie Harry - Limited Edition Mick Rock Estate Print
Located in London, GB
Pink Debbie Harry - Limited Edition Mick Rock Estate Print Debbie Harry in pink, 1978 (photo Mick Rock). All prints are numbered by the Estate. Edition size varies according to pr...
Category

1970s Modern Portrait Photography

Materials

Archival Pigment

Iman, LA, Contemporary, Celebrity, Photography, Portrait
Located in München, BY
Combined Edition 25 Also available in 50 x 60 cm/ 20 x 24 inch and as combined Edition 10 in 76 x 101 cm / 30 x 40 inch 101 x 127 cm / 40 x 50 inch Portrait of the famous model and ...
Category

1990s Contemporary Portrait Photography

Materials

Archival Pigment

David Bowie, Aladdin Sane Eyes Open, 1973. Duffy Archive.
Located in London, GB
David Bowie, Aladdin Eyes Open, 1973 by Brian Duffy. This photograph was taken during the photo shoot for the album cover for Aladdin Sane, January 1973, London. This is an exquisite FRAMED* Archival Pigment print. *Note delivery includes secure art crating & shipping. Framed in black wood with glass and matt Stamped by The Duffy Archive, UK. Supplied with certificate of authenticity. Gorgeous print measuring 115 x 115 x 3 cm (framed). The image area is 95 x 95 cm. Produced utilising the original contact sheet. We ship regularly using Fedex Express services and ship to all international locations. About these images : “It wasn’t until we saw the contact sheets the next day I remember thinking, God this is spectacular. You just knew you had cracked it, boy, did you know it.” Celia Philo DAVID BOWIE: FIVE SESSIONS PHOTOGRAPHS BY DUFFY Brian Duffy photographed David Bowie over five sessions between August 1972 and April 1980, and made the iconic Aladdin Sane album cover image. January 1973–Session two–Aladdin Sane. It has been called ‘The Mona Lisa of Pop’. Who could have imagined that the moment he clicked the shutter on the Hasselblad in early 1973 that one of those images would become known as a cultural icon? – Chris Duffy Some background to the shoot. The background stories to the Aladdin Sane shoot are told in rich detail in the book Bowie Duffy – Five Sessions. In particular it is a delight to read Duffy’s (a self confessed Marxist anarchist) analysis and compare that with the measured tone of Tony Defries. If you don’t have a copy of the book, here’s a flavour of their respective views – which amount to much the same thing – just expressed in different ways. First up, Tony Defries: “I was looking for an iconic cover image and artwork that would help me to persuade RCA that Bowie was sufficiently important to warrant megastar treatment and funding in order to propel him to exactly that status. Engaging a master, world-class photographer to shoot the project /brand and to design the artwork was the best way to send that message. Brian had the ability to make the mundane image interesting and the interesting image fascinating.” Then Duffy: “Tony wanted to make the most expensive cover he could possibly get a record company to pay for, because he realised that if it cost fifty quid, well, so what – but if it cost £5,000 the record company were now having to pay attention. He said “Can you make it expensive?“and I said “No problem old love.” I proposed– One: A Dye-transfer. A genius method of being able to spend the most amount of money to get a reproduction from a colour transparency onto a piece of paper. Two: Get the plates made, where? Switzerland. Then employ me to design it and create it – even better and more wasteful.” The Aladdin Sane session was a real team effort. The location was Duffy’s studio at 151a King Henry’s Road in Primrose Hill, London, which had been the setting for the Ziggy Stardust session the previous August. Duffy had agreed with Tony Defries that his design agency, Duffy Design Concepts, which he ran with Celia Philo, would design the sleeve. Present in Primrose Hill on that January day in 1973 were Duffy, David Bowie, Celia Philo, Tony Defries, French make-up artist Pierre Laroche, and Duffy’s studio manager Francis Newman, who also acted as his assistant that day. Follow-up work on the detailed airbrushing required to create the final artwork was carried out by Philip Castle. What about that lightning bolt flash and the liquid pool? The idea for the lightning bolt came from David Bowie. The realisation of that lighting bolt into the form that appeared on the sleeve was down to Duffy. Its source is believed to be a rice cooker that was in Duffy’s studio – and which had a small logo with a red and blue flash. Francis Newman remembers, “Pierre stared to apply this tiny little flash on his face and when Duffy saw that he said, “No, not like that, like this” and literally drew it right across his face and said to Pierre, “Now, fill that in.”” The red colour was lipstick. Adding the pool of liquid to the collarbone was Duffy’s idea, and this was brilliantly airbrushed in as part of the post-production work by Philip Castle. David Bowie explained the background to Rolling Stone magazine, that it was a “Lightning bolt. An electric kind of thing. Instead of, like, the flame of a lamp, I thought he would probably be cracked by lightning. Sort of an obvious-type thing, as he was sort of an electric boy. But the teardrop was Brian Duffy’s. He put that on afterward, just popped it in there. I thought it was rather sweet.” DAVID BOWIE David Robert Jones (8 January 1947 – 10 January 2016), known professionally as David Bowie (/ˈboʊi/ BOH-ee),[2] was an English singer-songwriter and actor. He was a leading figure in the music industry and is considered one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century, acclaimed by critics and musicians, particularly for his innovative work during the 1970s. His career was marked by reinvention and visual presentation, with his music and stagecraft having a significant impact on popular music. During his lifetime, his record sales, estimated at 140 million albums worldwide, made him one of the world's best-selling music artists. In the UK, he was awarded ten platinum album certifications, eleven gold and eight silver, and released eleven number-one albums. In the US, he received five platinum and nine gold certifications. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1996. Born in Brixton, South London, Bowie developed an interest in music as a child, eventually studying art, music and design before embarking on a professional career as a musician in 1963. "Space Oddity" became his first top-five entry on the UK Singles Chart after its release in July 1969. After a period of experimentation, he re-emerged in 1972 during the glam rock era with his flamboyant and androgynous alter ego Ziggy Stardust. The character was spearheaded by the success of his single "Starman" and album The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars, which won him widespread popularity. In 1975, Bowie's style shifted radically towards a sound he characterised as "plastic soul", initially alienating many of his UK devotees but garnering him his first major US crossover success with the number-one single "Fame" and the album Young Americans. In 1976, Bowie starred in the cult film The Man Who Fell to Earth, directed by Nicolas Roeg, and released Station to Station. The following year, he further confounded musical expectations with the electronic-inflected album Low (1977), the first of three collaborations with Brian Eno that came to be known as the "Berlin Trilogy". "Heroes" (1977) and Lodger (1979) followed; each album reached the UK top five and received lasting critical praise. After uneven commercial success in the late 1970s, Bowie had UK number ones with the 1980 single "Ashes to Ashes", its parent album Scary Monsters (and Super Creeps), and "Under Pressure", a 1981 collaboration with Queen. He reached his commercial peak in 1983 with Let's Dance; the album's title track topped both UK and US charts. Throughout the 1990s and 2000s, Bowie continued to experiment with musical styles, including industrial and jungle. He also continued acting; his roles included Major Jack Celliers in Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence (1983), Jareth the Goblin King in Labyrinth (1986), Pontius Pilate in The Last Temptation of Christ (1988), and Nikola Tesla...
Category

1970s Modern Portrait Photography

Materials

Color, Archival Pigment

Audrey Hepburn: Only Home for a Moment
Located in Austin, TX
Iconic and whimsical capture of Audrey Hepburn in her role for the 1961 film "Breakfast at Tiffany's", posed in the kitchen holding ballerina shoes as a cat approaches her. This lis...
Category

1960s Contemporary Portrait Photography

Materials

Archival Ink, Archival Paper, Archival Pigment

Marlene Dietrich Glamour Portrait in Fur Coat
Located in Austin, TX
Black and white studio capture of Marlene Dietrich posed in a long fur coat. In 1920s Berlin, Dietrich performed on the stage and in silent films. Her performance as Lola Lola in Jo...
Category

1940s Contemporary Portrait Photography

Materials

Archival Ink, Archival Paper, Archival Pigment

Naples, Italy, Black and White Photography 1950s, Bride by Leonard Freed
Located in New york, NY
Bride, Naples, Italy, 1958 by Leonard Freed is a black and white contemporary photograph, cinematic in nature. This is a gelatin silver, signed by the photographer, lifetime print, 24" x 20" from the Freed archive. LITERATURE: W. A. Ewing, N. Herschdorfer, and W. van Sinderen, Worldview, Leonard Freed, Steidl, 2007, p. 73 and back cover. Leonard Freed discovered Little Italy in New York...
Category

1950s Contemporary Portrait Photography

Materials

Silver Gelatin, Photographic Film, Photographic Paper

Marilyn Monroe Lying on Silk Vintage Press Print
Located in Austin, TX
Black and white vintage original photograph of Marilyn Monroe posed lying on silk, smiling to the camera with jewels on. -- One-of-a-kind original vintage press print from the Cele...
Category

1950s Contemporary Portrait Photography

Materials

Black and White

Bette Davis in "Dark Victory"
Located in Austin, TX
Black and white capture of actress Bette Davis in a fur coat for her role in "Dark Victory", circa 1939. What's included: - Limited Edition Archival Print - Numbered Certificate of ...
Category

1930s Contemporary Portrait Photography

Materials

Archival Ink, Archival Paper, Archival Pigment

Rita Hayworth Posed with Dog
Located in Austin, TX
Black and white studio capture of Rita Hayworth posed smiling while petting a dog, circa 1939. Rita Hayworth was an American actress, dancer, and pin-up girl. She achieved fame in t...
Category

1930s Contemporary Portrait Photography

Materials

Archival Ink, Archival Paper, Archival Pigment

Poolside Party, 1970 - Limited Edition Estate Stamped Digital C-Type Print
Located in Brighton, GB
Please note that as of 1st March 2025, the Slim Aarons Estate Stamped Collection aligned its pricing across the entire collection. Please bear in mind that all prints are produced t...
Category

20th Century American Modern Portrait Photography

Materials

C Print, Photographic Paper, Color, Digital

g. paul - lotus
Located in New York, NY
Gelatin silver print Signed, dated, and numbered, verso 20 x 16 inches, sheet 15 x 15 inches, image (Edition of 30) From the series, "Primitive Behavior" This artwork is offered by...
Category

1990s Contemporary Portrait Photography

Materials

Silver Gelatin

Portrait Photography for Sale on 1stDibs

Portrait photography can be a powerful part of your wall decor. Find a provocative and compelling portrait that speaks to you and you might find that the photograph will speak to your guests too.

Prior to the development of photography, which eventually replaced portrait paintings as a quicker and more efficient way of capturing a person’s essence, the subject of a portrait had to sit for hours until the painter had finished. In 1839, chemist and Philadelphia-based photographer Robert Cornelius didn’t have to wait very long for his portrait. In a matter of minutes, he captured what many believe to be the first portrait photograph. This shot was also the first self-portrait (or what we now call a “selfie”), and fine photography quickly became an art form.

Landscape photography, nude photography and portrait photography are very popular in today's modern interiors. A portrait can reveal a lot about the person in it. It can also add a narrative touch to your decor. You’ll often find that photographs of loved ones work well as decorative touches. A portrait of a family member or dear friend can help turn a house into a home, warming any space by evoking fond memories.

While family portraits can stir emotion, portraits of celebrities and important historical figures can also add a rich dynamic to your space. Portraits of famous musicians or intriguing actors hung in your dining room or home bar shot by Gered Mankowitz or Annie Leibovitz might inspire deep conversation over meals or drinks. Douglas Kirkland is also famous for his celebrity portraits. His photojournalism made him much sought after by Hollywood studios to document the filming of movies. In Kirkland’s powerful depiction of Hollywood stars, he excellently captures the glamour of their lives.

Other artists like Elliott Erwitt stand out by turning portraiture into a playful art form. Before graduating from high school in Hollywood, Erwitt had already begun to teach himself to take pictures, inspired by the work of Henri Cartier-Bresson. In image after image, Erwitt captured what photographers call “the moment” with rapier wit and penetrating humanity.

Portrait photography can be incredibly expressive, setting the tone and mood for a room. And there are different ways of incorporating portrait photography into your interior decor. If you’re thinking about adding color photography to a bedroom or living room, the colors of the portraits can become part of the room’s palette, while portraits shot in black and white won’t disrupt an existing color scheme.

On 1stDibs, find a vast selection of portrait photography from different eras, including 1950s portraits, 1960s portrait photography and more.

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