At first glance, Irving Penn’s The Twelve Most Photographed Models (A)
seems like a traditional image of
ladies in their finery, but closer inspection
reveals its new stylistic approach to fashion
photography. Rather than a grandly decorated room,
the setting is a photo studio, exposed at edge
of the backdrop, along with an unpainted ladder
and pieces of rugs. The combination of high
style and visual awareness gives the image
its power. Penn has pulled back the curtain,
revealing the reality behind the fantasy.