Ellen von Unwerth Art
German, b. 1954
Ellen von Unwerth is a director and photographer whose bold and erotic images of women have left an indelible mark on the visual landscape of the fashion world.
Born in Frankfurt, Germany, von Unwerth was a model in Paris for nearly a decade before turning to photography. Her 1989 images of Claudia Schiffer for a Guess jeans campaign, echoing the playfully feminine style of 1950s pinups, earned both Schiffer and von Unwerth wide attention. Over the years, her work has been featured regularly in magazines like Interview, Vanity Fair, Vogue, I-D and The Face, appearing on covers and in both editorial and commercial contexts. In 1991, she won first prize at the International Festival of Fashion Photography.
Von Unwerth’s 1995 photoshoot of Drew Barrymore for Playboy magazine is among her most popular work and, coupled with an array of album covers for such artists as Janet Jackson and Britney Spears, gave her standing as a celebrity photographer beyond the borders of the fashion world. Von Unwerth’s pictures have a distinctive look and feel, with saturated colors and dense compositions, while also, in certain cases, paying homage to great photographers of the 20th century.
The 2015 Tree of Love, Bavaria, in which a nude model reclines inside the heart-shaped hollow of an enormous decaying trunk, recalls Edward Weston’s sensuous use of the body’s geometry in his compositions. And the dramatically lit Tic Tac Toe from 2010, showing a scantily clad woman posing on a city street at night, evokes Helmut Newton’s atmospheric photograph of a model wearing Yves St. Laurent’s Le Smoking jacket, shot for French Vogue in 1975.
Von Unwerth has published several books of her photographs, including Revenge, in 2003, and Fräulein, in 2009. Those volumes have been joined by one showcasing the photos of her series “Heimat,” in which she playfully combines visual tropes of traditional Bavarian life with her signature eroticism and wit. She is represented by several dealers, including the Staley-Wise Gallery, in New York, and Galerie Trabant, in Kitzbühel, Austria.
Find original Ellen von Unwerth photography on 1stDibs.
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Period: 20th Century
Artist: Ellen von Unwerth
Mardi Gras, New Orleans, 1998
By Ellen von Unwerth
Located in New York, NY
Signed by the photographer
Category
1990s Ellen von Unwerth Art
Materials
Photographic Paper
Paint Them Black: Kate Moss, Paris, 1994
By Ellen von Unwerth
Located in New York, NY
Signed by the photographer
Category
1990s Ellen von Unwerth Art
Materials
Photographic Paper
Nudes at the Royalton, New York, 1992
By Ellen von Unwerth
Located in New York, NY
Signed by the photographer
Category
1990s Ellen von Unwerth Art
Materials
Photographic Paper
I Do It My Way, New York, 1995
By Ellen von Unwerth
Located in New York, NY
Signed by the photographer
Category
1990s Ellen von Unwerth Art
Materials
Photographic Paper
Playboy Bunnies, New York, 1995
By Ellen von Unwerth
Located in New York, NY
Signed by the photographer
Category
1990s Ellen von Unwerth Art
Materials
Photographic Paper
Jardin du Luxembourg: Deon Bray and Karen Mulder, Paris, 1991
By Ellen von Unwerth
Located in New York, NY
Signed by the photographer
Category
1990s Ellen von Unwerth Art
Materials
Photographic Paper
Legs Crossed: Christy Turlington and Linda Evangelista, Cannes, 1990
By Ellen von Unwerth
Located in New York, NY
Signed by the photographer
Category
1990s Ellen von Unwerth Art
Materials
Photographic Paper
Galliano, Paris, 1993
By Ellen von Unwerth
Located in New York, NY
Signed by the photographer
Category
1990s Ellen von Unwerth Art
Materials
Photographic Paper
Kate Moss and Karl Lagerfeld, Paris, 1996
By Ellen von Unwerth
Located in New York, NY
signed by the photographer
Category
1990s Ellen von Unwerth Art
Materials
Photographic Paper
Just Checking: Long Island, 1997
By Ellen von Unwerth
Located in New York, NY
signed by the photographer
Category
1990s Ellen von Unwerth Art
Materials
Photographic Paper
Unmasking: Demi Moore, New York, 1996
By Ellen von Unwerth
Located in New York, NY
Signed by the photographer
Category
1990s Ellen von Unwerth Art
Materials
Photographic Paper
Intermission: Linda Evangelista and Christy Turlington, Cannes, 1990
By Ellen von Unwerth
Located in New York, NY
Signed by the Photographer
Category
1990s Ellen von Unwerth Art
Materials
Photographic Paper
Bubbly
By Ellen von Unwerth
Located in New York, NY
Ed. 2/3, signed, titled, dated, numbered in ink. Includes black frame.
Ellen von Unwerth is a director and photographer who started out working as a fashion model. She was born in Frankfurt, Germany, and began modeling at the age of 20. After being noticed by a photographer on the street, she moved to Paris to begin a career as a fashion model. During her years as a model, she started to feel that the industry was missing an element of freedom.
After receiving a camera as a gift from her boyfriend, she began to take her own pictures, which eventually led to an improvised photo-shoot in Africa of her model colleagues. Von Unwerth developed a passion for photography after seeing the published photos of her colleagues. She became famous for her work when she was hired by Guess to shoot an up-and-coming model named Claudia Shchiffer. This photo-shoot created a huge demand for her services in the industry. Since then, von Unwerth has gone on to photograph numerous celebrities and entertainers and has worked for leading magazines like Vogue, Interview, Vanity Fair, The Face, L’Uomo Vogue...
Category
1990s Ellen von Unwerth Art
Materials
Silver Gelatin
Shalom Harlow in John Galliano
By Ellen von Unwerth
Located in New York, NY
Signed by the photographer
Category
1990s Ellen von Unwerth Art
Materials
Silver Gelatin
Claudia Schiffer - portrait of the supermodel looking like Brigitte Bardot
By Ellen von Unwerth
Located in Vienna, AT
Supermodel Claudia Schiffer in corset in Brigitte Bardot style. The artwork is framed high-end with a black wooden box, mat and 99% UV-resistant acrylic glass. It is made and signed ...
Category
1990s Contemporary Ellen von Unwerth Art
Materials
Archival Pigment
Bonheur (Happiness), Nice
By Ellen von Unwerth
Located in New York, NY
Signed by the photographer
Category
1990s Ellen von Unwerth Art
Materials
Silver Gelatin
Bubbly II, Paris
By Ellen von Unwerth
Located in New York, NY
Signed by the photographer
Category
1990s Ellen von Unwerth Art
Materials
C Print
Choker, Prague
By Ellen von Unwerth
Located in New York, NY
Signed by the photographer
Category
1990s Ellen von Unwerth Art
Materials
C Print
Dog Walkers, Cannes
By Ellen von Unwerth
Located in New York, NY
Signed by the photographer
Category
1990s Ellen von Unwerth Art
Materials
Silver Gelatin
Kate Moss in Chanel & Karl Lagerfeld - supermodel & star designer portrait
By Ellen von Unwerth
Located in Vienna, AT
Kate Moss in Chanel & Karl Lagerfeld - portrait of the supermodel & star designer
PREISS FINE ARTS is one of the world’s leading galleries for fine art photography representing th...
Category
1990s Contemporary Ellen von Unwerth Art
Materials
Archival Pigment
Rainy Day, Celebrity, black and white photography, nude
By Ellen von Unwerth
Located in Munich, DE
Price range: 9,000 - 36,000 €
Limited Edition of 15
More sizes:
50x60cm/19.6x23.6 in: Edition of 15
70x100cm/27.6x39 in: Edition of 7
120x180cm/47x70.8 in: Edition of 3
Ellen von U...
Category
1990s Contemporary Ellen von Unwerth Art
Materials
Archival Pigment
Playboy Bunnies, New York, Celebrity, black and white photography, nude
By Ellen von Unwerth
Located in Munich, DE
Price range: 9,000 - 36,000 €
Limited Edition of 15
More sizes:
50x60cm/19.6x23.6 in: Edition of 15
70x100cm/27.6x39 in: Edition of 7
120x180cm/47x70.8 in: Edition of 3
Ellen von U...
Category
1990s Contemporary Ellen von Unwerth Art
Materials
Archival Pigment
Maria Luisa with white Pearls, New York, Celebrity, black and white photography
By Ellen von Unwerth
Located in Munich, DE
Price range: 9,000 - 36,000 €
Limited Edition of 15
More sizes:
50x60cm/19.6x23.6 in: Edition of 15
70x100cm/27.6x39 in: Edition of 7
120x180cm/47x70.8 in: Edition of 3
Ellen von U...
Category
1990s Contemporary Ellen von Unwerth Art
Materials
Archival Pigment
First lesson, Kate Moss, New York, Celebrity, black and white photography, nude
By Ellen von Unwerth
Located in Munich, DE
Price range: 9,000 - 36,000 €
Limited Edition of 7
More sizes:
40x50cm/15.7x19.6 in: Edition of 15
50x60cm/19.6x23.6 in: Edition of 15
120x180cm/47x70.8 in: Edition of 3
Ellen von ...
Category
1990s Contemporary Ellen von Unwerth Art
Materials
Archival Pigment
Kate Moss, Kino Paris, Celebrity, black and white photography
By Ellen von Unwerth
Located in Munich, DE
Price range: 9,000 - 36,000 €
Limited Edition of 7
More sizes:
40x50cm/15.7x19.6 in: Edition of 15
50x60cm/19.6x23.6 in: Edition of 15
120x180cm/47x70.8 in: Edition of 3
Ellen von ...
Category
1980s Contemporary Ellen von Unwerth Art
Materials
Archival Pigment
Claudia Schiffer, Marrakech, Celebrity, black and white photography, nude
By Ellen von Unwerth
Located in Munich, DE
Price range: 9,000 - 72,000 €
Limited Edition of 7
More sizes:
40x50cm/15.7x19.6 in: Edition of 15
50x60cm/19.6x23.6 in: Edition of 15
120x180cm/47x70.8 in: Edition of 3
Ellen von ...
Category
1980s Contemporary Ellen von Unwerth Art
Materials
Archival Pigment
Kate Moss, Celebrity, black and white photography, nude
By Ellen von Unwerth
Located in Munich, DE
Price range: 9,000 - 36,000 €
Limited Edition of 3
More sizes:
40x50cm/15.7x19.6 in: Edition of 15
50x60cm/19.6x23.6 in: Edition of 15
70x100cm/27.6x39 in: Edition of 7
Ellen von U...
Category
1990s Contemporary Ellen von Unwerth Art
Materials
Archival Pigment
Christy Turlington & Linda Evangelista, Cannes, Celebrity, black and white
By Ellen von Unwerth
Located in Munich, DE
Price range: 9,000 - 36,000 €
Limited Edition of 15
More sizes:
40x50cm/15.7x19.6 in: Edition of 15
70x100cm/27.6x39 in: Edition of 7
120x180cm/47x70.8 in: Edition of 3
Ellen von U...
Category
1990s Contemporary Ellen von Unwerth Art
Materials
Archival Pigment
Marquise, Paris
By Ellen von Unwerth
Located in New York, NY
This print is signed by the photographer and is in an edition of 3. Please inquire for additional sizes.
Category
1990s Ellen von Unwerth Art
Materials
C Print
Bathing Beauties II, Paris
By Ellen von Unwerth
Located in New York, NY
Signed by the photographer.
Category
1990s Ellen von Unwerth Art
Materials
C Print
Playboy Bunnies, New York
By Ellen von Unwerth
Located in New York, NY
Signed by the photographer.
Category
1990s Ellen von Unwerth Art
Materials
Silver Gelatin
Leg Show
By Ellen von Unwerth
Located in Vienna, AT
Cheeky picture of three models with suspenders in 40s vintage style from behind.
PREISS FINE ARTS is one of the world’s leading galleries for fine...
Category
1990s Ellen von Unwerth Art
Upstairs, Paris - Model in Lingerie walking up Stairs, fine art photography 1996
By Ellen von Unwerth
Located in Vienna, AT
All prints are limited edition. Available in multiple sizes. High-end framing on request.
All prints are done and signed by the artist. The collector receives an additional certific...
Category
1990s Contemporary Ellen von Unwerth Art
Materials
Archival Pigment
'Naomi Campbell Shaving' - the model sitting on a toilet, fine art photography
By Ellen von Unwerth
Located in Vienna, AT
All prints are limited edition. Available in multiple sizes. High-end framing on request.
All prints are done and signed by the artist. The collector receives an additional certifi...
Category
1990s Contemporary Ellen von Unwerth Art
Materials
Archival Pigment
The Mask (Nadja Auermann)
By Ellen von Unwerth
Located in Vienna, AT
Portrait of the supermodel wearing a lace mask over her face.
PREISS FINE ARTS is one of the world’s leading galleries for fine art photography representing...
Category
1990s Ellen von Unwerth Art
Karen, Nina, Danny, and Anne, New York
By Ellen von Unwerth
Located in New York, NY
This photograph is an Edition of 15. All editions are signed by the photographer. Larger sizes may be available upon request.
Category
1990s Ellen von Unwerth Art
Materials
Silver Gelatin
Sophia Loren, New York
By Ellen von Unwerth
Located in New York, NY
This photograph is an edition of 15. All editions are signed by the photographer. Larger sizes may be available upon request.
Category
1990s Ellen von Unwerth Art
Materials
Silver Gelatin
Mask: Nadja Auermann, VOGUE UK, Paris
By Ellen von Unwerth
Located in New York, NY
This photograph is an edition of 7. All editions are signed by the photographer. Larger sizes may be available upon request.
Category
1990s Ellen von Unwerth Art
Materials
Silver Gelatin
Claudia Schiffer as Barbie
By Ellen von Unwerth
Located in Vienna, AT
Supermodel Claudia Schiffer sitting on a silk covert chair and dressed as a real life Barbie in front of a pink background.
She is wearing black over knee boots and a fluffy black an...
Category
1990s Ellen von Unwerth Art
Claudia Schiffer in Bathtub
By Ellen von Unwerth
Located in Vienna, AT
Portrait of supermodel Claudia Schiffer in 60s style with her hair up like Brigitte Bardot.
Ellen von Unwerth is one of the most famous and influential photographers in the world. H...
Category
1990s Ellen von Unwerth Art
Naomi Campbell - portrait of the supermodel wearing Mickey Mouse ears
By Ellen von Unwerth
Located in Vienna, AT
Naomi Campbell - portrait of the supermodel wearing Mickey Mouse ears
The artwork is signed and made by the artist in a strictly limited edition of 7. Other sizes on request.
PREISS...
Category
1990s Contemporary Ellen von Unwerth Art
Materials
Silver Gelatin
Kate Moss Shopping II
By Ellen von Unwerth
Located in Vienna, AT
Other sizes and high end framing on request.
Kate Moss has starred in Unwerth’s works numerous times, and together, they have been creating some of the most iconic images of the ‘90...
Category
1990s Contemporary Ellen von Unwerth Art
Materials
Archival Pigment
Nadja Auermann, Smoke - nude portrait with cigarette, fine art photography
By Ellen von Unwerth
Located in Vienna, AT
All prints are limited edition. Available in multiple sizes. High-end framing on request.
All prints are done and signed by the artist. The collector receives an additional certific...
Category
1990s Contemporary Ellen von Unwerth Art
Materials
Archival Pigment
Carla Bruni Lavazza
By Ellen von Unwerth
Located in Vienna, AT
Glamourous portrait of the supermodel in a pool smoking with an Espresso coffee.
Other sizes on request.
PREISS FINE ARTS is one of the world’s leading galleries for fine art photog...
Category
Late 20th Century Contemporary Ellen von Unwerth Art
Materials
Archival Pigment
Claudia Schiffer
By Ellen von Unwerth
Located in Vienna, AT
Beautiful black and white full body portrait of supermodel Claudia Schiffer coming through a door with her blazer open.
Ellen von Unwerth - the femal...
Category
1990s Ellen von Unwerth Art
Supermodel Claudia Schiffer from the side, without top and bare back
By Ellen von Unwerth
Located in Vienna, AT
Nude portrait of the supermodel under a sun shade - look from the side, without top and bare back Claudia Schiffer.
The artwork is made and signed by the artist in a strictly limite...
Category
1990s Contemporary Ellen von Unwerth Art
Materials
Archival Pigment
Kate Moss with Letter
By Ellen von Unwerth
Located in Vienna, AT
Great full body black and white portrait of young supermodel Kate Moss on a balcony holding a letter with thoughtful gaze. She is wearing a long coat and looks down. Kate Moss is sty...
Category
1990s Ellen von Unwerth Art
'Naomi Campbell' - the nude Supermodel in Sneakers, fine art photography, 1994
By Ellen von Unwerth
Located in Vienna, AT
All prints are limited edition. Available in multiple sizes. High-end framing on request.
All prints are done and signed by the artist. The collector receives an additional certifi...
Category
1990s Contemporary Ellen von Unwerth Art
Materials
Archival Pigment
Maid Stockings - a model in a maid costume in vintage style
By Ellen von Unwerth
Located in Vienna, AT
All prints are limited edition. Available in several sizes. High-end framing on request.
All prints are done and signed by the artist. The collector receives an additional certifica...
Category
20th Century Contemporary Ellen von Unwerth Art
Materials
Archival Pigment
Maid - crawling over a set dinner table in vintage look
By Ellen von Unwerth
Located in Vienna, AT
MAID - crawling over a set dinner table in vintage look
PREISS FINE ARTS is one of the world’s leading galleries for fine art photography representing the most famous contemporary a...
Category
20th Century Ellen von Unwerth Art
Again?, New York
By Ellen von Unwerth
Located in New York, NY
All editions signed by the photographer.
Category
1990s Ellen von Unwerth Art
Cat and Fish: Estella Warren
By Ellen von Unwerth
Located in New York, NY
All editions signed by the photographer.
Category
1990s Ellen von Unwerth Art
Butt Bite: Sarabeth Stroller
By Ellen von Unwerth
Located in New York, NY
All editions signed by the photographer.
Category
1990s Ellen von Unwerth Art
Untitled
By Ellen von Unwerth
Located in Vienna, AT
Ellen von Unwerth is one of the most famous and influential photographers in the world. Her artistic achievements have been honored with truly great photography awards. She discovere...
Category
1990s Ellen von Unwerth Art
Eva Herzigova, Smoking in Bed - nude Model smoking, fine art photography, 1994
By Ellen von Unwerth
Located in Vienna, AT
All prints are limited edition. Available in multiple sizes. High-end framing on request.
All prints are done and signed by the artist. The collector receives an additional certific...
Category
1990s Contemporary Ellen von Unwerth Art
Materials
Archival Pigment
Mimi & Ivy
By Ellen von Unwerth
Located in Vienna, AT
Mysterious black and white picture of two models wearing black masks.
One is holding her finger in front of her mouth.
Ellen von Unwerth - the female Helmut Newton - is one of the ...
Category
1990s Ellen von Unwerth Art
'Claudia Schiffer Mykonos' - in Dessous, fine art photography, 1997
By Ellen von Unwerth
Located in Vienna, AT
All prints are limited edition. Available in multiple sizes. High-end framing on request.
All prints are done and signed by the artist. The collector receives an additional certifi...
Category
1990s Contemporary Ellen von Unwerth Art
Materials
Archival Pigment
'Elisabeth Hurley NYC'- with cigarette in the kitchen, fine art photography 1997
By Ellen von Unwerth
Located in Vienna, AT
All prints are limited edition. Available in multiple sizes. High-end framing on request.
All prints are done and signed by the artist. The collector receives an additional certifi...
Category
1990s Contemporary Ellen von Unwerth Art
Materials
Archival Pigment
Ellen Von Unwerth art for sale on 1stDibs.
Find a wide variety of authentic Ellen von Unwerth art available for sale on 1stDibs. If you’re browsing the collection of art to introduce a pop of color in a neutral corner of your living room or bedroom, you can find work that includes elements of orange, red, pink and other colors. You can also browse by medium to find art by Ellen von Unwerth in archival pigment print, pigment print, silver gelatin print and more. Much of the original work by this artist or collective was created during the 21st century and contemporary and is mostly associated with the contemporary style. Not every interior allows for large Ellen von Unwerth art, so small editions measuring 16 inches across are available. Customers who are interested in this artist might also find the work of Frank Schott, Joachim Schmeisser, and Axel Crieger.