Colette (1 of 2), Paris

Irving Penn (1917-2009), one of the undisputed masters of twentieth-century photography, is known for his iconic images of haute couture and still life, but also, and above all, for his magnificent portraits of the artists, writers and celebrities who marked the cultural landscape of their time.

This portrait of Colette (1873-1954), one of the last, proved to be both one of Penn’s most beautiful photographs and one of the most defining images of this author. She was 77 years old at the time of this sitting. The low angle, close-up shot expresses the grandeur of this already historic figure. With her hand under her chin, like Rodin’s Thinker, the author indeed seems absorbed in thought. Her wrinkled eyes are almost completely hidden beneath the thick black eyeliner that calls attention to her eyelids. The rich, ornamental texture of her clothing contrasts with the spartan nature of the setting. These contrasts unflinchingly reveal all the traces of time this literary giant’s face, its furrows expressing the full complexity of Colette's personality.

This photograph was shown for the first time by Pinault Collection in 2015 during the exhibition "Irving Penn, Resonance", at the Palazzo Grassi - Venice