Richard Avedon's fashion and portrait photographs "helped define America's image of style, beauty and culture for the last fifty years" - this according to an obituary published in The New York Times.
Avedon was always interested in how portraiture captures the personality and soul of its subject. As his reputation as a photographer grew, he photographed many celebrities and politicians in his studio - Elizabeth Taylor, Buster Keaton, Marilyn Monroe, John F. Kennedy and Andy Warhol, to name but a few.
His portraits are easily distinguished by their minimalist style, often the person is looking squarely in the camera, posed in front of a sheer white background.
He would often bring up uncomfortable areas of discussion or ask psychologically probing questions, to evoke a reaction. Through this technique he would produce images that revealed aspects of his subject's character and personality that were not typically captured by others.
Wenda Parkinson in Hyde Park in 1951
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