Nicely Inscribed
Irving Penn
Notes: Published in conjunction with an exhibition at MOMA, this is the first comprehensive retrospective of Penn's work. The essay by Szarkowski follows a brilliant career, from its art-school beginnings to the provocative still lifes of the 1980s which depict cigarette butts and street detritus with eloquent and classical style
216 pages, 156 plates (21 in color) with 35 reference illustrations (7 in color). Large format.
Edition + Condition: First edition (first printing). A near fine copy in a near fine dust jacket. Inscribed by Penn, "For old friend Bob with warmest greetings P." Below the inscription Penn has drawn a circle which he signed in the middle and "N.Y. 1984" at the bottom. This copy came from the library of Peter Schub (1926–2021), Penn's photography agent. Whether Bob was a nickname or this book was signed for someone else and never delivered, your cataloguer cannot say.
Publication: New York: Museum of Modern Art, 1984.
ISBN: 0870705628
Item No: #23847
Price: $650