Remembering Irving Penn (1917-2009)

As followers of the UnBeige Twitter feed were among the first in the world to learn, photographer Irving Penn died yesterday at the age of 92. Whether capturing the artful drape of a Balenciaga gown, Saul Steinberg with a bag over his head (at left), an underwater welder ill at ease on land, or a piece of chewed gum on the sidewalk, Penn imparted his subjects with a distinctive, graphic grace that convinced the viewer to take a longer look.