Christie’s Unveils PHOTOGRAPHS: A Curated Sale of Masterworks and Modern Icons

New York, 31 March 2026 - Christie's is pleased to announce Photographs, an online auction taking place from 3 to 17 April, with more than 300 engaging and significant works spanning the history of the 20th and 21st century. The sale features a strong selection of vintage and modernist works from the first half of the 20^th century alongside post-war and contemporary photographs by Richard Avedon, Diane Arbus, Helmut Newton, Andy Warhol, Nan Goldin, Hiroshi Sugimoto, Sally Mann, Andreas Gursky, and many others.

Rebecca Jones, Christie's Head of Photographs, New York, comments: "In addition to the wonderful early Modernist works we have gathered, this season we are also proud to present a significant group of Irving Penn works, with several images that have never been offered at auction before. Penn remains one of the most influential photographers of the 20th century, celebrated for his striking still lifes, vivid dye-transfer prints, iconic fashion imagery, and sensitive portraits from around the world. His market continues to show remarkable strength. By offering both his most recognizable images and rarer discoveries, we expect strong enthusiasm for this exceptional group of Penn photographs."

The auction is led by Irving Penn's iconic Ginkgo Leaves, New York, 1990, a dye-transfer print estimated at $250,000 to 350,000. This substantial grouping of works by Penn, ranging from some of his most celebrated images, such as Girl Behind Bottle Jean Patchett, New York (estimate: $100,000 to 150,000), to compelling portraits of 20th-century artists and cultural figures, is a rare chance to see many of his works at once, several of which are appearing at auction for the first time.

The selection includes portraits of Pablo Picasso, Isamu Noguchi, Joan Didion, and Salvador Dali, among others. Works fresh to the market include:

• Isamu Noguchi, New York (1947), estimate: $8,000 to 12,000
• Henry Moore, Much Hadham (1962), estimate: $8,000 to 12,000
• Jasper Johns, New York (1983), estimate: $8,000 to 12,000
• Willem de Kooning, Long Island, New York (1983), estimate: $8,000 to 12,000
• Fernando Botero, New York (1985), estimate: $8,000 to 12,000

Irving Penn remains one of the most influential photographers of the 20th century, celebrated for his striking still lifes, richly saturated dye-transfer prints, iconic fashion imagery for Conde Nast, and sensitive portraits of people and cultures around the world.

Additional highlights featured in the sale include:

• Two striking portraits of Georgia O'Keeffe by Alfred Stieglitz, estimates $250,000 to 350,000 and $60,000 to 80,000
• A unique photogram by Laszlo Moholy-Nagy from 1929, estimate: $80,000 to 120,000
• Paul Strand's Rebecca, 1930, estimate: $150,000 to 200,000
• A thrilling selection of early Sally Mann 8x10 inch contact prints
• Francesca Woodman's House #3, Providence, Rhode Island, estimate: $40,000 to 60,000

(Press Release)