Irving Penn: Flowers

Irving Penn’s photographs of flowers, begun in 1967 and continued through the 2000s, transform botanical subjects into elegant studies of form, texture, and color, isolating each bloom against a neutral background. Initially photographed for Vogue, the images capture both the vitality and–with flowers that have passed their prime–the impermanence of beauty.

Photograph of a two closed lily buds, covered with droplets of water, against a white background.
Photograph of a red poppy flower against a white background.
Photograph of an open begonia flower, with petals ranging from pale pink to orange, against a white background.
Photograph of a single faded red poppy flower with a down-turned bud against a white background.
Photograph of an open yellow orchid flower against a white background.
Photograph of a single red rose against a white background.
Photograph of a single down-turned cyclamen bud, covered with water droplets, against a white background.
Photograph of a single green and pink thistle against a white background.
Photograph of a silhouetted dandelion, covered with water droplets, against a white background.
Photograph of a two tulip stamens, with faded and dropping petals, against a white background.
Photograph of a pale orange lily flower against a white background.