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Portrait Photography For Sale
Period: Mid-20th Century
Period: 1920s
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

Marilyn Monroe in "Something's Got to Give" Vintage Press Print
Located in Austin, TX
Black and white candid shot of famed actress Marilyn Monroe in "Something's Got to Give", circa 1962. -- One-of-a-kind original vintage press print from the Celebrity Vault archives...
Category

1960s Contemporary Portrait Photography

Materials

Black and White

Frank Sinatra in his Ford Thunderbird
Located in Austin, TX
In this photograph, Frank Sinatra is captured glancing over his shoulder at his friend, photographer Frank Worth, while sitting in his classic Ford Thunderbird. Frank Sinatra was a...
Category

1950s Contemporary Portrait Photography

Materials

Archival Ink, Archival Paper, Digital, Archival Pigment

Slim Aarons Hand Signed Limited Edition Print - Capucine 1957
Located in London, GB
1957: French actress Capucine, (Germaine Lefebvre) (1933 - 1990) fanning herself at a New Year's Eve party held at Romanoffs in Beverly Hills. DESCRIPTION Slim Aarons - Signed Life...
Category

1950s Portrait Photography

Materials

Silver Gelatin

Keith Richards sitting in front of Bentley, 1966 — Signed Limited Edition Print
Located in London, GB
Keith Richards sitting in front of Bentley, 1966 — Signed Limited Edition Print, 1966 — Signed Limited Edition Print by Gered Mankowitz Keith Richards of The Rolling Stones is pho...
Category

1960s Modern Portrait Photography

Materials

Silver Gelatin

Audrey Hepburn in Gown with Dogs
Located in Austin, TX
Black and white glamour portrait of actress Audrey Hepburn posed smiling in a gown, walking poodles on leashes. Audrey Hepburn was a British actress. Hepburn had a successful career...
Category

1950s Contemporary Portrait Photography

Materials

Archival Ink, Archival Paper, Archival Pigment

Frida Kahlo, Painter
Located in Carmel, CA
A remarkable portrait of the famous Frida Kahlo taken by another woman artist, Imogen Cunningham in San Francisco. This is a hand printed photograph by the son of Imogen, Ron Partr...
Category

1930s Portrait Photography

Materials

Silver Gelatin

Jazz Legends: Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong
Located in Austin, TX
This awesome capture features jazz legends Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong posed smiling for the camera, circa 1956. Louis Armstrong was an American trumpeter, composer, vocalis...
Category

1950s Contemporary Portrait Photography

Materials

Archival Ink, Archival Paper, Archival Pigment

Blue Boy
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 artwork is offered by ClampArt, located in New York City. A stylistic precursor of such artists as Pierre et Gilles and David LaChapelle, James Bidgood revolutionized gay male...
Category

1960s Other Art Style Portrait Photography

Materials

C Print

Mick Jagger and Keith Richards Candid with Newspaper
Located in Austin, TX
This candid capture features a young Mick Jagger and Keith Richards of The Rolling Stones, sitting with a newspaper circa 1967. The Rolling Stones were at the forefront of the Briti...
Category

1960s Contemporary Portrait Photography

Materials

Archival Ink, Archival Paper, Archival Pigment

Lido Life, Venice, Estate Edition, Portrait Photograph
Located in Los Angeles, CA
This mid-1950s portrait photograph, captured by society photographer Slim Aarons, features a group of friends squeeze onto an inflatable raft at the Venice Lido, Venice, Italy. This...
Category

1950s Realist Portrait Photography

Materials

Lambda

Sammy Davis Junior, New York City, Portrait of African American Celebrity
Located in New york, NY
Image of Sammy Davis Junior, 1959 by American photographer Burt Glinn was shot on Madison Avenue in New York after Sammy Davis Jr.'s last performance at the Copacabana nightclub in T...
Category

1950s Contemporary Portrait Photography

Materials

Photographic Film, Digital

The Beatles in a Cockpit
Located in Austin, TX
The Beatles (John Lennon, George Harrison, Ringo Starr, and Paul McCartney) in the cockpit of their Liverpool bound plane. The Beatles were an English rock band formed in Liverpool ...
Category

1960s Contemporary Portrait Photography

Materials

Archival Ink, Archival Paper, Archival Pigment

Slim Aarons 'Venice Vacation', Estate Edition
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Holidaymakers on the pier at the Lido in Venice, 1957. (Photo by Slim Aarons/Getty Images) Slim Aarons Venice Vacation Chromogenic Lambda print 1957, Printed Later Slim Aarons Estate Edition Complimentary dealer shipping to your framer, worldwide. Stamped and hand numbered by the Slim Aarons Estate. Certificate of Authenticity included. This artwork DOES include a certificate of authenticity from the authenticating body, the estate Collector will get the next number in the edition 40 x 40 inches $3950 30 x 30 inches $3350 24 x 24 inches $3000 12 x 12 inches $1800 Complimentary dealer shipping to your framer, worldwide. Over the course of a career lasting half a century, Slim Aarons (1916-2006) portrayed high society, aristocracy, authors, artists, business icons, the celebrated and their milieu. In doing so, he captured a golden age of wealth, privilege, beauty and leisure that occurred alongside—but quite separate from—the cultural and political backdrop of the second half of the Twentieth Century. Photograph is unframed Modern estate edition with estate blindstamp signature and hand number in lower margin Slide show includes a close-up of the Slim Aarons estate's stamp. Collector will get the next number in the edition * We are pleased to offer the entire archive of the Slim Aarons Estate, offering the official Slim Aarons Estate Edition (only offered in this edition of 150). * Undercurrent Projects, New York, is proud to represent Aarons' full collection of negatives and transparencies. Housed at Getty Images Hulton Archive in London, The Slim Aarons Estate has released the limited Estate edition as a Lambda print, which is a modern c-type prints. They have chosen Lambda prints for their sharpness, clarity, colour saturation and quality, compared to archival inkjet prints. Lambda printing gives true continuous tone. Internal: Slim Aarons Venice...
Category

1950s Realist Portrait Photography

Materials

Lambda

Florence Pritchett Smith, Venice, Estate Edition, Portrait Photograph
Located in Los Angeles, CA
This 1950 portrait photograph, captured by society photographer Slim Aarons, features model turned fashion editor turned society hostess, Florence Pritchett Smith, covers her sleevel...
Category

1950s Realist Portrait Photography

Materials

Lambda

Untitled (Cowboy) / P00075
Located in New York, NY
Vintage Polaroid print (Unique) Signed in pencil, verso This artwork is offered by ClampArt, located in New York City. Price includes framing. Jim French first began drawing and then photographing male erotica in the 1960s. Originally a successful fashion illustrator, French and an old army buddy partnered to open a mail order company in New York City they called Luger. French contributed homoerotic drawings of hyper-masculine types such as soldiers, cowboys, and bikers. Eventually he bought out his business partner, and by 1967, under the pseudonym Rip Colt, he founded the now infamous Colt Studio...
Category

1960s Other Art Style Portrait Photography

Materials

Polaroid

A Friendly Chat, Bahamas, Estate Edition, Portrait Photograph
Located in Los Angeles, CA
This late 1960s portrait photograph, captured by society photographer Slim Aarons, features a man wearing diving equipment talking with a girl in a wicker chair on the beach, Bahamas...
Category

1960s Realist Portrait Photography

Materials

Lambda

Steve McQueen Racing Porsche
Located in Austin, TX
This stunning color action shot features American actor Steve McQueen. Often called "The King of Cool", whose "anti-hero" persona developed at the height of the counterculture of the...
Category

1960s Contemporary Portrait Photography

Materials

Archival Ink, Archival Paper, Archival Pigment

Mick Jagger with his Aston Martin DB6, 1966 — Signed Limited Edition Print
Located in London, GB
Mick Jagger with his Aston Martin DB6, 1966 — Signed Limited Edition Print by Gered Mankowitz Mick Jagger of The Rolling Stones is photographed next to his beloved Aston Martin DB...
Category

1960s Modern Portrait Photography

Materials

Silver Gelatin

Marilyn Monroe Posed on Car
Located in Austin, TX
Circa 1945 in Los Angeles, California: Before she was the famous Marilyn Monroe, was known as Norma Jeane Dougherty, seen here siting on a sports car in Hollywood. Marilyn Monroe wa...
Category

1940s Contemporary Portrait Photography

Materials

Archival Ink, Archival Paper, Archival Pigment

Rita Hayworth Posed on Bed
Located in Austin, TX
Black and white glamour shot of Rita Hayworth posed smiling on bed. Rita Hayworth was an American actress, dancer, and pin-up girl. She achieved fame in the 1940s as one of the top ...
Category

1940s Contemporary Portrait Photography

Materials

Archival Ink, Archival Paper, Archival Pigment

New York, Brooklyn, African American Lifestyle 1960s, Fashion Show
Located in New york, NY
Fashion Show, Brooklyn, New York, USA 1963 by Leonard Freed is a 19" x 13" signed and numbered archival pigment print in an edition of 10. Signed by the estate, Freed's widow Brigitte Freed, on back of photograph. Available: 3/10. Provenance: Freed Estate *** Artist’s Bio: Leonard Freed (1929-2006) was an American photographer from Brooklyn, New York. His "Black in White America" series made him known as a documentarian, a social documentary photographer. Freed worked as a freelance photographer from 1961 onwards and as a Magnum photographer Freed traveled widely abroad and, in the US, photographing African Americans (1964-65), events in Israel (1967-68, 1973), and the New York City police department...
Category

1960s Contemporary Portrait Photography

Materials

Archival Pigment

Katharine Hepburn with Dogs
Located in Austin, TX
"Black and white candid capture of actress Katharine Hepburn smiling outdoors with her dogs, circa 1938. Katharine Hepburn was an American actress whose career as a Hollywood leadin...
Category

1930s Contemporary Portrait Photography

Materials

Archival Ink, Archival Paper, Archival Pigment

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

'Ali in Training' by R. McPhedran, Limited Edition Photograph Print, 20x24
Located in San Rafael, CA
American heavyweight boxer Muhammad Ali throws bare-handed punches in the ring while in training for his fight against Brian London, London, England, August 1966. (Photo by R. McPhed...
Category

1960s Contemporary Portrait Photography

Materials

Photographic Paper, Silver Gelatin

Backgammon By The Pool, Palm Beach, Estate Edition, Portrait Photograph
Located in Los Angeles, CA
This late 1950s portrait photograph, captured by society photographer Slim Aarons, features Countess Peter Jean-Baptiste de Manio (left) and Mary-Beth Turner playing backgammon by a ...
Category

1950s American Realist Portrait Photography

Materials

Emulsion, Photographic Paper, ABS, Black and White, Digital, Photogram

Jimi Hendrix Poses With A Cigarette, 1967 — Signed Limited Edition Print
Located in London, GB
Jimi Hendrix poses with a cigarette, 1967 — Signed Limited Edition Print by Gered Mankowitz Legendary guitarist Jimi Hendrix is pictured head-on during a session at Mankowitz's st...
Category

1960s Modern Portrait Photography

Materials

Silver Gelatin

Holiday Hair Check, Bermuda, Estate Edition, Portrait Photograph
Located in Los Angeles, CA
This late 1950s urban portrait photograph, captured by society photographer Slim Aarons, features Faith Gibbons checks her hair in the mirror of a motor scooter, Bermuda. She is wear...
Category

1950s American Realist Portrait Photography

Materials

Emulsion, Photographic Paper, ABS, Black and White, Digital, Photogram

Kennedys, Hyannis Port, Jackie, Magazine Cover, 1959
Located in New York, NY
Kennedy, nb_100 -- Published on the cover of the Ladies Home Journal in 1961, this photo was actually taken in Hyannis Port in 1959 before JFK became president. THE 24” x 36” SIZE OF...
Category

1950s Modern Portrait Photography

Materials

Giclée

Untitled Portrait
Located in New York, NY
Listing includes framing with UV Plexi ($900 value), free shipping, and a 14-day return policy. Seydou Keïta Untitled Portrait, 1952 - 1955 (02158) 23...
Category

1950s Portrait Photography

Materials

Photographic Film, Photographic Paper, Silver Gelatin

Elvis Presley Graceland
Located in Austin, TX
Retro 1957 photograph depicting music's new sensation Elvis Presley posing for a photo outside of his new Memphis, Tennessee home, Graceland. This early portrayal was captured on Apr...
Category

1950s Contemporary Portrait Photography

Materials

Archival Ink, Archival Paper, Archival Pigment

Jimi Hendrix Backstage
Located in Austin, TX
Awesome candid capture of the rock god Jimi Hendrix, seated backstage. Jimi Hendrix was an American musician, singer, and songwriter. Although his mainstream career spanned only fo...
Category

1960s Contemporary Portrait Photography

Materials

Archival Ink, Archival Paper, Digital, Archival Pigment

Skiing In Stowe, Vermont, Estate Edition, Portrait Photograph
Located in Los Angeles, CA
This early 1960s portrait photograph, captured by society photographer Slim Aarons, features a young woman waiting to go on a ski run in Stowe, Vermont, USA. This is an estate stamp...
Category

1960s Realist Portrait Photography

Materials

Lambda

Man Ray, Pablo Picasso, Picasso 1930-1935, Cahiers d'Art (after)
Located in Auburn Hills, MI
Lithograph on vélin paper. Stamp-signed and unnumbered, as issued. Good condition. Notes: From the album, Picasso 1930-1935, 1936. Published and printed by Éditions des Cahiers d'Art...
Category

1930s Modern Portrait Photography

Materials

Lithograph

Kennedy, Jackie in Palm Beach, 1963
Located in New York, NY
Jackie in Palm Beach, 1963, nb_151. Image size is 10" x 15" (for 11" x 17" paper size). All Mark Shaw prints are made to order in limited editions on Hahnemuhle photo rag paper. Each...
Category

1960s Modern Portrait Photography

Materials

Giclée

Lounging gracefully on the wing, 1972
Located in Cologne, DE
This photograph from 1972 captures a stylish, vibrant scene featuring two people on a small airplane. A young woman, wearing a pink floral dress and sunglasses, lounges gracefully on...
Category

1950s Modern Portrait Photography

Materials

Color, C Print

Girls in the Windows, Contemporary Fashion Photography, A/P Available
Located in New york, NY
Girls in the Windows, 1960 by Ormond Gigli, is a 38" x 38" (image size) archival pigment print signed by the photographer in an edition of 45 ... is sold out. One piece remains, however, an A/P (artist's proof) Ed. 4/8. The print is signed, titled, and numbered on recto (front of photo) in ink. Print Provenance: artist's archive. **** Girls in the Windows is one of the most collectible photographs...
Category

1960s Contemporary Portrait Photography

Materials

Photographic Film, Archival Pigment, Digital Pigment

Chez Maxe, French Black and White Photograph of Cafe Life Post WWII
Located in New york, NY
Interested in “ordinary people" French photographer Willy Ronis was a postwar (WWII) photographer who roamed the streets, photographing people in love, at work, and at play. Chez M...
Category

1940s Contemporary Portrait Photography

Materials

Photographic Film, Photographic Paper, Silver Gelatin

Alabama, Iconic Black and White Portrait Photography, Burroughs Family
Located in New york, NY
Burroughs Family, Hale County, Alabama, 1936 is paper size: 11" x 11.25" and image size: 7.5" x 9.4" A silver gelatin print c.1978 in an edition 44/75. Inscribed in ink on front of p...
Category

1930s Contemporary Portrait Photography

Materials

Silver Gelatin, Photographic Film, Photographic Paper

Grace Kelly at the Premiere of Rear Window
Located in Austin, TX
This stunning recolored portrait features actress Grace Kellythe "Princess of Grace"attending Alfred Hitchcock's Rear Window premier in 1954. She is captured here looking at the came...
Category

1950s Contemporary Portrait Photography

Materials

Archival Ink, Archival Paper, Digital, Archival Pigment

Andy Warhol at his Factory at 33 Union Square, LAST ONE signed by Jack Mitchell
Located in Senoia, GA
11 x 14 inch vintage silver gelatin photograph of Andy Warhol at his Factory at 33 Union Square West in New York City with 16mm film reels and posters for Tu...
Category

1960s Pop Art Portrait Photography

Materials

Silver Gelatin

Marilyn Monroe, Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall at a Party
Located in Austin, TX
Incredible candid image photographed by Globe Photos Photographer Nate Cutler at the premier of How to Marry a Millionaire in 1953. How to Marry a Millionaire is a 1953 American screwball comedy film directed by Jean Negulesco and written and produced by Nunnally Johnson. The screenplay was based on the plays The Greeks Had a Word for It (1930) by Zoe Akins and Loco (1946) by Dale Eunson and Katherine Albert. It stars Betty Grable, Marilyn Monroe, and Lauren Bacall as three fashionable Manhattan...
Category

1950s Contemporary Portrait Photography

Materials

Archival Ink, Archival Paper, Digital, Archival Pigment

Elizabeth Taylor On The Set Of Giant - Oversize Limited Print
Located in London, GB
Elizabeth Taylor with Sunglasses for "Giant" 1955 by Frank Worth This iconic and elegant portrait captured by celebrity photographer Frank Worth features actress Elizabeth Taylor o...
Category

1950s Modern Portrait Photography

Materials

Archival Pigment

MAN RAY (1890-1976), SIDE PORTRAIT, 1926 Photogravure, FIRST EDITION
Located in Pembroke Pines, FL
Artist: Man Ray (American born, 1890 - 1976) Title: SIDE PORTRAIT Date Of Negative: 1926 Type Of Print: Authentic Vintage Sheet Fed Photogravure/Heliogra...
Category

1920s Photorealist Portrait Photography

Materials

Photogravure

Marietine Birnie, Blue Lagoon, Malta, Estate Edition, Portrait Photograph
Located in Los Angeles, CA
This late 1950s portrait photograph, captured by society photographer Slim Aarons, features Marietine Birnie snorkeling at the Blue Lagoon, Kemmuna (Comina), Malta, July 1959. This ...
Category

1950s American Realist Portrait Photography

Materials

Lambda

Harlem Beauty Contest, African American Fashion, Black and White Photograph
Located in New york, NY
Beauty Contest, Harlem, 1963 by Leonard Freed is a 16" x 20" gelatin silver print, signed verso (on back) by the Freed estate. The image appears in Amer...
Category

1960s Contemporary Portrait Photography

Materials

Photographic Film, Photographic Paper, Silver Gelatin

James Dean (1955) Silver Gelatin Fibre Print
Located in London, GB
James Dean (1955) Silver Gelatin Fibre Print (photo via A.F. Archive/Alamy Archives) 1955 James Dean (1931 - 1955) Additional Information: Unframed Paper Size: 16x20'' Printed...
Category

1950s Modern Portrait Photography

Materials

Black and White, Silver Gelatin

Elizabeth Taylor with Sunglasses for Giant - Oversize Limited Print
Located in London, GB
Elizabeth Taylor with Sunglasses for "Giant" 1955 by Frank Worth This iconic and elegant portrait captured by celebrity photographer Frank Worth features actress Elizabeth Taylor o...
Category

1950s Modern Portrait Photography

Materials

Archival Pigment

John F. Kennedy on an Airplane
Located in Austin, TX
Black and white capture of President John F. Kennedy on an airplane. John F. Kennedy, often referred to as JFK, was an American politician who served as the 35th president of the Un...
Category

1960s Contemporary Portrait Photography

Materials

Archival Ink, Archival Paper, Archival Pigment

Elvis Presley With Rolls Royce at His Graceland Mansion
Located in Austin, TX
1960's image of Elvis Presley, the King of Rock n' Roll at his castle in Graceland posing with his beautiful Rolls Royce. The photo is a later-generation example and is a re-strike t...
Category

1960s Contemporary Portrait Photography

Materials

Archival Ink, Archival Paper, Archival Pigment

Black and White: Mary Jane Russell, Le Pavillion
Located in New York, NY
Gelatin silver print Signed in pencil, verso 11 x 14 inches, sheet size 9.75 x 12.5 inches, image size This artwork is offered by ClampArt, located in New York City. Lillian Bassm...
Category

1950s American Modern Portrait Photography

Materials

Silver Gelatin

Boy With Fish - Black & White Silver Gelatin Photograph, Signed and Framed
Located in Chicago, IL
You cannot help but smile when you see the pure joy on this young boy's face as he shows off his "prize" catch to a group of onlookers in Art Shay's photo aptly titled "Boy with Fish...
Category

1960s Contemporary Portrait Photography

Materials

Silver Gelatin

Lucille Ball Smoking
Located in Austin, TX
This black-and-white vintage image features American actress and slapstick comedian Lucille Ball sitting outdoors in the sunlight, smoking a cigarette. Lucille Ball was best known...
Category

1960s Contemporary Portrait Photography

Materials

Archival Ink, Archival Paper, Digital, Archival Pigment

Louis Armstrong: Legendary Musician with Big Smiles
Located in Austin, TX
This portrait features jazz legend Louis Armstrong up close, posed with a big smile. Louis Armstrong was an American trumpeter, composer, singer, and occasional actor who was one o...
Category

1950s Contemporary Portrait Photography

Materials

Archival Ink, Archival Paper, Digital, Archival Pigment

Frida Painting "Two Fridas" - Black and White Photograph, Portrait, Frida Kahlo
Located in Denton, TX
Frida Painting "Two Fridas" by Nickolas Muray is a limited edition black and white portrait of Mexican painter Frida Kahlo in her studio, sitting in front of her famous painting, The...
Category

1930s Modern Portrait Photography

Materials

Archival Pigment

Lumberjack (1939) Silver Gelatin Fibre Print - Oversized
Located in London, GB
Lumberjack (1939) Silver Gelatin Fibre Print - Oversized (Photo by Dorothea Lange/Alamy) An unemployed lumberjack with his wife in a migrant workers camp for the bean harvest, Marion County, Oregon, circa 1939. Additional Information: Unframed Paper Size: 30x40'' Printed Later Silver Gelatin Fibre Print NOTE OTHER SIZES OF THIS IMAGE AVAILABLE 10 x 12'' 12 x 16'' 16 x 20'' 20 x 24'' 20 x 30'' 30 x 40'' FRAMING AVAILABLE ON REQUEST ACTORS ON SET, Bette Davis, Ladies Fashion, LEADING LADIES, Black and White, Photography, BnW, Vintage, Retro, Classic, Wood Cutter...
Category

1930s Modern Portrait Photography

Materials

Black and White, Silver Gelatin

The Supremes Dancing - Detroit, MI, 1965 - Framed, Signed Silver Gelatin Photo
Located in Chicago, IL
The excitement and innocence is profoundly evident on the faces of Dianna Ross, Mary Wilson and Florence Ballard - AKA The Supremes, in this behind the scenes photograph, dancing to ...
Category

1960s Contemporary Portrait Photography

Materials

Silver Gelatin

Johnny Cash at Folsom Prison
Located in Austin, TX
Stunning and simplistic portrait of musician Johnny Cash smoking a cigarette and playing guitar outside of Folsom Prison, 1968. Johnny Cash was an American singer, songwriter, music...
Category

1960s Contemporary Portrait Photography

Materials

Archival Ink, Archival Paper, Archival Pigment

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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