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Irving Penn — Bee on Lips, New York, September 22
Irving Penn

Bee on Lips, New York, September 22

A single bee rests delicately on a pair of lush, slightly parted lips in this striking close-up photograph by Irving Penn. The intimate juxtaposition of the fragile insect against the sensuous human form creates a tension between beauty and danger. Penn's masterful use of the dye transfer process renders the image with rich, luminous color and extraordinary detail.

Medium
Dye transfer print, printed 1999.

🔨 Auction Lot

Photographs

May 8, 2013

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About this work

Irving Penn, Bee on Lips, New York, September 22

A single bee rests delicately on a pair of lush, slightly parted lips in this striking close-up photograph by Irving Penn. The intimate juxtaposition of the fragile insect against the sensuous human form creates a tension between beauty and danger. Penn's masterful use of the dye transfer process renders the image with rich, luminous color and extraordinary detail.

Medium
Dye transfer print, printed 1999.
Seen at
Phillips, New York, London, Hong Kong

Related themes

20th Century, Surrealist Photography, Dye-Transfer Print, Close Up Portrait, Unsettling Mood, Studio Photography, Conceptual Art, American Photographer, Master Photographer, Black and White

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