HELMUT NEWTON

A beautiful woman in bra, jodhpurs and riding boots kneels on a luxurious bed wearing a saddle on her back; a naked Gianni Versace on a leopard skin chaise longue; Raquel Welch in a revealing white swimsuit with a black dog; Rene Russo dancing with a woman on a mountain top - Helmut Newton's unforgettable images, at once sophisticated and provocative, constitute a rich and ever-relevant artistic legacy. This book presents a compact but wide-ranging and impactful portfolio of his work, supported by an insightful introduction and a detailed biographical chronology and a unique perspective is effectively showcased, reflecting the complex undercurrents that give his images their distinct character across the breadth of his editorial work in the fields of fashion and portraiture. At once voyeur and satirist, his lens framed contentious yet pivotal aspects of high fashion and high society in the latter decades of the 20th century. He worked as a "gun for hire" while imposing his own perspectives and obsessions, defining most notably his idea of a powerful, self-assured woman. This figure became his most insistent theme, developed in erotically charged scenarios, most typically set in the seductive environment of opulent apartments or grand hotels, most notably in Paris, Monte Carlo, and Los Angeles. From the mid-60s, Newton's dynamic images established his reputation in leading magazines, among them Vogue Paris, Elle, Marie Claire, Nova, Queen, and British Vogue. From the mid-70s his notoriety was extended through his first books and exhibitions. His images immortalise such luminaries of society, film, and fashion as Princess Caroline of Monaco, Charlotte Rampling, Paloma Picasso and Karl Lagerfeld. 14 x 19.5cm, 192 pages. New from Taschen.