Portrait of Irving Penn by Bert Stern, 1960s. 

In 2013, the Smithsonian American Art Museum acquired 100 photographs by the legendary photographer Irving Penn (1917-2009), one of the most celebrated photographers of the twentieth century. Penn is best known for the spare, elegant style he applied to the fashion, still-life, and portrait photographs he produced for Vogue in the 1950s. His aesthetic and technical skill earned him accolades in both the artistic and commercial worlds throughout his career.

The 100 photographs given to the museum by The Irving Penn Foundation include rare street photographs from the late 1930s and 1940s, most of which are unpublished; images of post-war Europe; iconic portraits of figures such as Agnes de Mille, Langston Hughes, and Truman Capote; color photographs made for magazine editorials and commercial advertising; self-portraits; and some of Penn's most recognizable fashion and still-life photographs. All the prints were made during the artist's lifetime and personally approved by him.

Through the acquisition of these photographs, the museum's collection represents the full spectrum of this major artist's career. To celebrate this important acquisition, the museum is organizing an exhibition that will open in 2015.

Irving Penn, Beauty Shop, New York, 1939, gelatin silver print. Copyright © by the The Irving Penn Foundation

Irving Penn, Shop Sign: Shoe (Version A), New York, 1939, gelatin silver print. Copyright © by the The Irving Penn Foundation

Irving Penn, Dior Black Suit (Tania), Paris, 1950, gelatin silver print. Copyright © by the The Irving Penn Foundation

Irving Penn, Cracked Egg, New York, 1958, chromogenic print. Copyright © by the The Irving Penn Foundation

Irving Penn, Twisted Paper, New York, 1975, platinum print. Copyright © by the The Irving Penn Foundation

Irving Penn, Truman Capote, 1979, (3 of 3), New York, 1979. gelatin silver print Copyright © by the The Irving Penn Foundation

Irving Penn, Mouth (for L'Oréal), New York, 1986, dye transfer print. Copyright © by the The Irving Penn Foundation

Irving Penn, Underfoot XXVII, New York, 2000, gelatin silver print. Copyright © by the The Irving Penn Foundation

Irving Penn, Red Rooster, New York, 2003, inkjet print. Copyright © by the The Irving Penn Foundation