He took these smartly outfitted women out of the studio and photographed them in French locales: Daniels, dressed in a Balenciaga suit, watching street performers in the Marais district in 1948 Harnett, in an evening dress by Grès, playing roulette at the Casino in Le Touquet, France, in 1954 and Parker, draped in a Grès gown, sitting near cancan dancers at the Moulin Rouge in 1957. The photographer created imaginative narratives-sometimes continued through several issues of the magazine-highlighting couture collections and featuring his favorite models: Dorian Leigh, her sister Suzy Parker, Sunny Harnett, Dovima, Carmen, Elise Daniels, and even his wife, Doe Avedon. Despite the bleakness of the post-war years, Paris still represented the height of sophistication, and Avedon infused his photographs with a sense of optimism, helping the City of Light reclaim its position as the capital of the fashion world. The exhibition begins with elegant, romantic, and lively images taken in Paris, where he visited extensively from 1947 to 1965 on assignment for Harper’s Bazaar. The MFA is delighted to be able to showcase his supremely stylish and important work,” said Malcolm Rogers, Ann and Graham Gund Director of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. “Richard Avedon was one of the greatest photographers of all time, who forever transformed the way we look at fashion.

It unfolds by decade, with the greatest emphasis on the classic work from the 1950s and 1960s, when Avedon’s distinct vision of the ideal American woman revolutionized magazine photography. On view in the Foster Gallery at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston (MFA), from August 10, 2010, through January 17, 2011, the exhibition highlights approximately 140 objects, including photographs, magazines, engravers’ prints, and contact sheets that span almost six decades of his successful career.Īvedon Fashion 1944–2000 examines Avedon’s years as a photographer who helped shape the image of the fashionable woman, drawing from thousands of pictures he took as staff photographer for Harper’s Bazaar and Vogue. Instead of perpetuating static images of human mannequins posing stiffly in magazines, Avedon depicted his models as real women whose energy and exuberance complemented their modern lifestyles.Ĭonsidered one of the great image-makers of the 20th century, he redefined fashion photography and his lasting contributions are explored in the traveling exhibition Avedon Fashion 1944–2000, a major retrospective devoted exclusively to his work in this medium.

Richard Avedon (1923–2004) was the man who brought fashion photography to life.

Avedon fashion 1944 2000