irving penn

Irving Penn, single oriental poppy, 1968, New York Irving Penn, Tuberous Begonia, 1973, New York

FLOWERS

We’re closing the magazine with Irving Penn’s iconic photographs of dying flowers. He began this series in 1967 — a project that unfolded over nearly a decade. These delicate studies explore the transparency of petals, emphasizing light, form, and anatomical intricacy. Penn photographed seven varieties — poppies, tulips, roses, lilies, peonies, orchids, and begonias — all captured in close-up, framed against a stark white background. 

Rendered almost as portraits, even in their wilted, decaying states, the flowers become subtle memento mori — a quiet homage to the analog nature of photography, revealing beauty in the mundane, and life in its most fragile, ephemeral form.

ALL ARTWORK COPYRIGHT THE IRVING PENN FOUNDATION