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Annie Leibovitz — Whoopi Goldberg, Berkeley, California
Annie Leibovitz

Whoopi Goldberg, Berkeley, California

1984

Taken in 1984, this Cibachrome print captures Whoopi Goldberg submerged in a bathtub filled with milk, her face composed and luminous against the stark white liquid, a visual contrast that is at once playful and arresting. Annie Leibovitz made the image in Berkeley, California, at a pivotal moment in Goldberg's career, just as the comedian and actress was emerging as one of the most distinctive voices in American performance. The photograph belongs to a body of work in which Leibovitz moved beyond conventional celebrity portraiture, collaborating with her subjects to construct images that carry the weight of conceptual art while remaining deeply personal and immediate. The Cibachrome process lends the print a richness of color and a luminous surface quality that has made it a preferred medium among photographers working in the tradition of fine art printmaking during this period. The work is numbered 29 from an edition of forty, and the sheet carries Leibovitz's signature alongside the title, date, and edition number in ink in the margin, establishing clear provenance and authenticity. At 50.8 by 40.7 centimeters, the sheet presents the square image with generous borders, allowing the composition room to breathe within any hanging context. For collectors with an interest in the intersection of portraiture, performance, and photographic history, this work represents an especially desirable point of entry. It arrives at Christie's carrying the appeal of both its subject and its maker, two figures whose cultural significance has only grown in the decades since the shutter closed. Works from this edition appear infrequently on the secondary market, reinforcing the print's standing as a considered long-term acquisition.

Medium
Cibachrome print
Overall
Signed
Yes
Location
Christie's, Beverly Hills, CA

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About this work

Annie Leibovitz, Whoopi Goldberg, Berkeley, California, 1984

Taken in 1984, this Cibachrome print captures Whoopi Goldberg submerged in a bathtub filled with milk, her face composed and luminous against the stark white liquid, a visual contrast that is at once playful and arresting. Annie Leibovitz made the image in Berkeley, California, at a pivotal moment in Goldberg's career, just as the comedian and actress was emerging as one of the most distinctive voices in American performance. The photograph belongs to a body of work in which Leibovitz moved beyond conventional celebrity portraiture, collaborating with her subjects to construct images that carry the weight of conceptual art while remaining deeply personal and immediate. The Cibachrome process lends the print a richness of color and a luminous surface quality that has made it a preferred medium among photographers working in the tradition of fine art printmaking during this period. The work is numbered 29 from an edition of forty, and the sheet carries Leibovitz's signature alongside the title, date, and edition number in ink in the margin, establishing clear provenance and authenticity. At 50.8 by 40.7 centimeters, the sheet presents the square image with generous borders, allowing the composition room to breathe within any hanging context. For collectors with an interest in the intersection of portraiture, performance, and photographic history, this work represents an especially desirable point of entry. It arrives at Christie's carrying the appeal of both its subject and its maker, two figures whose cultural significance has only grown in the decades since the shutter closed. Works from this edition appear infrequently on the secondary market, reinforcing the print's standing as a considered long-term acquisition.

Medium
Cibachrome print
Dimensions
overall: 50.8 x 40.7 cm
Year
1984
Signed
Hand-signed by the artist
Seen at
Christie's, London, United Kingdom

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Collected by

Alex Capecelatro