Skip to main content

Ellen von Unwerth Photography

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.

to
138
76
4
75
116
69
2
11
69
2
68
39
Overall Height
to
Overall Width
to
99
199
181
77
70
49
43
32
26
24
24
23
20
18
15
14
14
14
13
12
11
58
2
53
286
2,694
1,058
947
920
109
107
37
37
10
Period: 21st Century and Contemporary
Artist: Ellen von Unwerth
Ellen von Unwerth, The Story of Olga Art. Signed Limited Edition Book and Print.
By Ellen von Unwerth
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Art Edition Book: 13.0 x 17.2 in. Pigment Print: 15.8 x 11.8 in. Art Edition limited to 125 copies (numbered 126-250), each with the signed and numbered pigment print by Ellen von Unwerth: Art Edition B (No. 126-250) The Widow From the series The Story of Olga, 2012 40 x 30 cm (15.8 x 11.8 in.) (Frame not included) Also available in a second Art Edition (numbered1-125) with an alternative print. "Olga returns for more lustful adventures with a colorful cast of characters" Olga is back! After a first foray with Bettina Rheims for the 2008 limited edition smash hit The Book of Olga, now she teams up with Ellen von Unwerth for The Story of Olga, a photographic narrative tracing the journey of a young widow, Olga, who after the death of her wealthy, elderly husband, is overtaken by an insatiable lust. She searches for love only to find it in the arms of an unlikely source, far from the riches and extravagance to which she is accustomed. It is Olga’s quest that makes this fairy tale highly untraditional: she is a heroine who is not afraid of her lust, and it is her sensuality that leads her to the happy ending she so desires. Set in a glorious château, replete with all the trappings of wealth and glamor, this collaboration between Ellen von Unwerth and Olga Rodionova brings to life the enviable luxury of both fairy tales and modern desire. The first Olga book...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Ellen von Unwerth Photography

Materials

Archival Pigment

Tete-à-Tete, Bavaria 2015
By Ellen von Unwerth
Located in Munich, DE
2 girls in traditional bavarian dresses showing their cleavage. In "Heimat" (german for homeland) invites viewers on a photographic journey through her childhood homeland of Bavaria...
Category

2010s Contemporary Ellen von Unwerth Photography

Materials

Archival Pigment

Invitation Only, Paris, 2007
By Ellen von Unwerth
Located in New York, NY
Signed by the photographer on a label of authenticity
Category

Early 2000s Ellen von Unwerth Photography

Materials

Silver Gelatin

Revival, from the Story of Olga - nude on pink sofa, fine art photography, 2011
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

21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Ellen von Unwerth Photography

Materials

Archival Pigment

Bretzel, Bavaria, 2015
By Ellen von Unwerth
Located in New York, NY
Signed by the photographer
Category

2010s Ellen von Unwerth Photography

Materials

Photographic Paper

Hands On Deck, Cannes, 2019
By Ellen von Unwerth
Located in New York, NY
Signed by the Photographer
Category

2010s Ellen von Unwerth Photography

Materials

Photographic Paper

Carmin, Paris, 2003
By Ellen von Unwerth
Located in New York, NY
Signed by the photographer
Category

Early 2000s Ellen von Unwerth Photography

Materials

Photographic Paper

Bees Do It, Paris, 2012
By Ellen von Unwerth
Located in New York, NY
signed by the photographer
Category

2010s Ellen von Unwerth Photography

Materials

Photographic Paper

Boss Bitch, Berlin, 2011
By Ellen von Unwerth
Located in New York, NY
signed by the photographer
Category

2010s Ellen von Unwerth Photography

Materials

Photographic Paper

The Pinch, Paris, 2008
By Ellen von Unwerth
Located in New York, NY
signed by the photographer
Category

Early 2000s Ellen von Unwerth Photography

Materials

Photographic Paper

Swanky Panky, New York, 2011
By Ellen von Unwerth
Located in New York, NY
signed by the photographer
Category

2010s Ellen von Unwerth Photography

Materials

Photographic Paper

Danger Kitty!: Zoë Kravitz, New York, 2022
By Ellen von Unwerth
Located in New York, NY
signed by the photographer
Category

2010s Ellen von Unwerth Photography

Materials

Photographic Paper

Games, New York, 2013
By Ellen von Unwerth
Located in New York, NY
signed by the photographer
Category

2010s Ellen von Unwerth Photography

Materials

Photographic Paper

Pigalle, Paris, 2012
By Ellen von Unwerth
Located in New York, NY
Signed by the photographer
Category

2010s Ellen von Unwerth Photography

Materials

Photographic Paper

Parading, Paris, 2010
By Ellen von Unwerth
Located in New York, NY
signed by the photographer
Category

2010s Ellen von Unwerth Photography

Materials

Photographic Paper

Private Affair, Paris, 2012
By Ellen von Unwerth
Located in New York, NY
Signed by the photographer
Category

2010s Ellen von Unwerth Photography

Materials

Photographic Paper

Château Marmont, Los Angeles, 2011
By Ellen von Unwerth
Located in New York, NY
Signed by the photographer
Category

2010s Ellen von Unwerth Photography

Materials

Photographic Paper

Flush: Elle Macpherson, New York, 2004
By Ellen von Unwerth
Located in New York, NY
Signed by the photographer
Category

Early 2000s Ellen von Unwerth Photography

Materials

Photographic Paper

In The Shower With Rihanna, New York, 2014
By Ellen von Unwerth
Located in New York, NY
Signed by the photographer
Category

2010s Ellen von Unwerth Photography

Materials

Photographic Paper

Harp Lesson, Rouilly-Le-Bas, 2011
By Ellen von Unwerth
Located in New York, NY
Signed by the photographer
Category

2010s Ellen von Unwerth Photography

Materials

Photographic Paper

Eyes Wide Open, Paris, 2015
By Ellen von Unwerth
Located in New York, NY
Signed by the photographer
Category

2010s Ellen von Unwerth Photography

Materials

Photographic Paper

Diablo: Cara Delevigne, Los Angeles, 2015
By Ellen von Unwerth
Located in New York, NY
Signed by the photographer
Category

2010s Ellen von Unwerth Photography

Materials

Photographic Paper

Queen, New York, 2018
By Ellen von Unwerth
Located in New York, NY
Signed by the photographer
Category

2010s Ellen von Unwerth Photography

Materials

Photographic Paper

Bird, Los Angeles, 2018
By Ellen von Unwerth
Located in New York, NY
Signed by the photographer
Category

2010s Ellen von Unwerth Photography

Materials

Photographic Paper

Guardians, Paris, 2012
By Ellen von Unwerth
Located in New York, NY
Signed by the photographer
Category

2010s Ellen von Unwerth Photography

Materials

Photographic Paper

Trippy: Amilna Estevao and Alton Mason, New York, 2017
By Ellen von Unwerth
Located in New York, NY
Signed by the photographer
Category

2010s Ellen von Unwerth Photography

Materials

Photographic Paper

Afterparty: Dioni Tabbers and Hana Jirickova, Los Angeles, 2011
By Ellen von Unwerth
Located in New York, NY
Signed by the photographer
Category

2010s Ellen von Unwerth Photography

Materials

Photographic Paper

David Bowie and Kate Moss, New York, 2003
By Ellen von Unwerth
Located in New York, NY
Signed by the photographer
Category

Early 2000s Ellen von Unwerth Photography

Materials

Photographic Paper

Place des Vosges, Paris, 2023
By Ellen von Unwerth
Located in New York, NY
Signed by the photographer
Category

2010s Ellen von Unwerth Photography

Materials

Photographic Paper

Second Skin: Anton Thiemke, Milan, 2022
By Ellen von Unwerth
Located in New York, NY
Signed by the photographer
Category

2010s Ellen von Unwerth Photography

Materials

Photographic Paper

Fallen Party Angel, Paris, 2012
By Ellen von Unwerth
Located in New York, NY
Signed by the photographer
Category

2010s Ellen von Unwerth Photography

Materials

Photographic Paper

Invitation Only, Paris, 2007
By Ellen von Unwerth
Located in New York, NY
Signed by the photographer
Category

Early 2000s Ellen von Unwerth Photography

Materials

Photographic Paper

Heidi, Kitzbuhel, 2003
By Ellen von Unwerth
Located in New York, NY
Signed by the photographer
Category

Early 2000s Ellen von Unwerth Photography

Materials

Photographic Paper

Bye Bye Paris: Olya Ivanisevic, Paris, 2006
By Ellen von Unwerth
Located in New York, NY
Signed by the photographer
Category

Early 2000s Ellen von Unwerth Photography

Materials

Photographic Paper

Emma de Caunes, French Playboy, 2009
By Ellen von Unwerth
Located in New York, NY
Signed by the photographer
Category

Early 2000s Ellen von Unwerth Photography

Materials

Photographic Paper

Joy, New York, 2012
By Ellen von Unwerth
Located in New York, NY
Signed by the photographer
Category

2010s Ellen von Unwerth Photography

Materials

Photographic Paper

POP Princess, London, 2012
By Ellen von Unwerth
Located in New York, NY
Signed by the photographer
Category

2010s Ellen von Unwerth Photography

Materials

Photographic Paper

Tête-à-Tête, Paris, 2008
By Ellen von Unwerth
Located in New York, NY
Signed by the photographer
Category

Early 2000s Ellen von Unwerth Photography

Materials

Photographic Paper

Taste Test - Heimat, Model, traditional dress eating fondue fine art photography
By Ellen von Unwerth
Located in Vienna, AT
Other sizes and high-end framing on request. PREISS FINE ARTS is one of the world’s leading galleries for fine art photography, representing the most...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Ellen von Unwerth Photography

Materials

Archival Pigment

Squeeze & Shape from Heimat - nude Model washing herself, fine art photography
By Ellen von Unwerth
Located in Vienna, AT
Other sizes and high-end framing on request. PREISS FINE ARTS is one of the world’s leading galleries for fine art photography, representing the most...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Ellen von Unwerth Photography

Materials

Archival Pigment

Church Girls, Heimat - Models in traditional dress, fine art photography, 2015
By Ellen von Unwerth
Located in Vienna, AT
Other sizes and high-end framing on request. PREISS FINE ARTS is one of the world’s leading galleries for fine art photography, representing the most...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Ellen von Unwerth Photography

Materials

Archival Pigment

Fired Up from Heimat - Nude Model in Apron working, fine art photography, 2015
By Ellen von Unwerth
Located in Vienna, AT
Other sizes and high-end framing on request. PREISS FINE ARTS is one of the world’s leading galleries for fine art photography, representing the most...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Ellen von Unwerth Photography

Materials

Archival Pigment

The Spill - Models in a kitchen cleaning the floor, fine art photography, 2015
By Ellen von Unwerth
Located in Vienna, AT
Other sizes and high end framing on request. PREISS FINE ARTS is one of the world’s leading galleries for fine art photography representing the most ...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Ellen von Unwerth Photography

Materials

Archival Pigment

Thirsty - Milk dripping out of a Model's Mouth, b&w fine art photography, 2015
By Ellen von Unwerth
Located in Vienna, AT
Other sizes and high end framing on request. Ellen von Unwerth is one of the most famous and influential photographers in the world. Her artistic achievements have been honored with...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Ellen von Unwerth Photography

Materials

Archival Pigment

Tête-à-tête, VOGUE Gioiello
By Ellen von Unwerth
Located in New York, NY
Signed by the photographer
Category

Early 2000s Ellen von Unwerth Photography

Materials

Photographic Paper

I Did It My Way
By Ellen von Unwerth
Located in New York, NY
Signed by the photographer
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Ellen von Unwerth Photography

Materials

Photographic Paper

Luma Grothe for Vogue Brasil - nude model swimming underwater in blue sea
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

2010s Contemporary Ellen von Unwerth Photography

Materials

Archival Pigment

Gaga Incognito
By Ellen von Unwerth
Located in New York, NY
Signed by the photographer Please inquire about additional limited sizes and editions
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Ellen von Unwerth Photography

Materials

Archival Pigment

Adriana Lima Wicked - the supermodel naked with halo and silk gloves
By Ellen von Unwerth
Located in Vienna, AT
Beautiful black & white fine art print of topmodel Adriana Lima with a cat. The Victoria's Secret star is posing from behind in sexy lingerie and black hi...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Ellen von Unwerth Photography

Materials

Archival Pigment

Milla Jovovich - the actress with devil horns and hand with gloves in b&w
By Ellen von Unwerth
Located in Vienna, AT
Other sizes and high end framing on request. PREISS FINE ARTS is one of the world’s leading galleries for fine art photography representing the most famous contemporary artists. El...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Ellen von Unwerth Photography

Materials

Archival Pigment

Follow Me, Paris, 2004
By Ellen von Unwerth
Located in New York, NY
Signed by the photographer Edition of 15
Category

Early 2000s Ellen von Unwerth Photography

Materials

Silver Gelatin

Madonna - the superstar with tights dresses as a bunny, before a gold curtain
By Ellen von Unwerth
Located in Vienna, AT
Other sizes and high end framing on request. PREISS FINE ARTS is one of the world’s leading galleries for fine art photography representing the most famous contemporary artists. El...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Ellen von Unwerth Photography

Materials

Archival Pigment

Bunny on Leash - models in dessous with bunny ears and stockings
By Ellen von Unwerth
Located in Vienna, AT
Other sizes and high end framing on request. PREISS FINE ARTS is one of the world’s leading galleries for fine art photography representing the most famous contemporary artists. El...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Ellen von Unwerth Photography

Materials

Archival Pigment

Playboy Bunny - model with mask
By Ellen von Unwerth
Located in Vienna, AT
Other sizes and high end framing on request. PREISS FINE ARTS is one of the world’s leading galleries for fine art photography representing the most famous contemporary artists. El...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Ellen von Unwerth Photography

Materials

Archival Pigment

Playboy Bunnies, NYC - Models in front of a mirror, fine art photography, 1995
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

21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Ellen von Unwerth Photography

Materials

Archival Pigment

Bunny on pedestal - nude model with bunny ears
By Ellen von Unwerth
Located in Vienna, AT
Other sizes and high end framing on request. PREISS FINE ARTS is one of the world’s leading galleries for fine art photography representing the most famous contemporary artists. El...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Ellen von Unwerth Photography

Materials

Archival Pigment

White Bunny II - model looking in the mirror
By Ellen von Unwerth
Located in Vienna, AT
Other sizes and high end framing on request. PREISS FINE ARTS is one of the world’s leading galleries for fine art photography representing the most famous contemporary artists. El...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Ellen von Unwerth Photography

Materials

Archival Pigment

White Bunny - Model with crystalised bunny Mask, b&w fine art photography, 2012
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

21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Ellen von Unwerth Photography

Materials

Archival Pigment

Ellen Von Unwerth photography for sale on 1stDibs.

Find a wide variety of authentic Ellen von Unwerth photography available for sale on 1stDibs. If you’re browsing the collection of photography 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, blue and other colors. You can also browse by medium to find art by Ellen von Unwerth in pigment print, archival 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 photography, so small editions measuring 12 inches across are available. Customers who are interested in this artist might also find the work of Frank Schott, Joachim Schmeisser, and Guido Argentini.

Recently Viewed

View All