by Meghan Edwards

“A portrait is not a likeness. The moment an emotion or fact is transformed into a photograph it is no longer a fact, but an opinion. There is no such thing as inaccuracy in a photograph. All photographs are accurate.  None of them is the truth.” Such are the famous words of Richard Avedon [1923-2004], the celebrated American photographer who captured the biggest stars of his lifetime, covering political and social celebrities as well as groundbreaking fashion. The evening sale at Christie’s in Paris on November 20, “Avedon: Photographs from The Richard Avedon Foundation,” will be the largest collection of his works ever to hit the market and is estimated to exceed between 3.7 and 6 million in sales. The proceeds from this hefty sum will go to launching The Richard Avedon Foundation’s endowment, which supports its philanthropy in the visual arts and photographic education. The sale follows several other Christie’s auctions focusing on single photographers such as Diane Arbus [2008], William Eggleston [2008], and most recently Irving Penn in April 2010, which garnered $3 million on 50 lots.

Avedon has long been recognized as a master in the most groundbreaking medium of the 20th century, and his portraiture and fashion photography have most recently been collected in a series of monographic books and exhibitions. He was a native New Yorker and a photographer in the Merchant Marine in World War II. Following his service in the war, he managed to climb swiftly to the highest ranks of editorial fashion and portraiture, beginning his career by shooting in Paris for Harper’s Bazaar.

One of the highlights of the Christie’s sale will be his best known work from Paris, “Dovima With Elephants, Evening Dress by Dior, Cirque d’Hiver, Paris,” which is estimated to go for between $500,000 and $700,000. The lot is the largest print in existence, and was included in the national tour of Avedon’s 1978 Metropolitan Museum of Art fashion retrospective. The artist’s love of French culture is well represented in the sale, and was important in restoring joy and vibrancy to the nation’s representation in the aftermath of the war. Similarly energetic and dynamic, works like “Veruschka” and “Twiggy” are notable lots and demonstrate the liveliness that Avedon brought to the camera.

In the words of Philippe Garner, International Head of Christie’s 20th Century Decorative Art & Photographs department, “In addition to landmark images of the glamour and elegance of fashion at its most sophisticated we have intense, commanding pictures that confront the human condition.” Among these classic works is a vintage print of his iconic portrait of Marilyn Monroe (estimate: $100,000 to 150,000 million) and his somewhat sobering portrait of Andy Warhol’s gun shot scars, “Andy Warhol, artist, New York City, August 20, 1969.”

Another highlight to hit the block is “The Beatles Portfolio, London, England,” which is estimated to go for between $300,000 and 500,000. The lot is a rare but well-known set of four psychedelic portraits of John Lennon, George Harrison, Paul McCartney, and Ringo Starr, the same set that set the world record for Avedon at auction when it went for $464,000 at Christie’s in 2005.

Prints of political leaders such as Malcolm X and the Dalai Lama and from Avedon’s “In the American West” series round out the lots, of which there are 65 in total. Even for someone not familiar with Avedon, the works on sale are icons, recognizeable even to those who believe themselves unfamiliar. The energy and the drama in these prints make them not only significant in their own genre but elevate them as artistic landmarks in their own right. Oh, to be a pin in the Parisian hat of an elegant registered bidder later this month. It will be a night to remember.