1994
Ellen von Unwerth is a director and photographer whose bold and erotic images of women have left an indelible mark on the visual landscape of the fashion world.
Born in Frankfurt, Germany, von Unwerth was a model in Paris for nearly a decade before turning to photography. Her 1989 images of Claudia Schiffer for a Guess jeans campaign, echoing the playfully feminine style of 1950s pinups, earned both Schiffer and von Unwerth wide attention. Over the years, her work has been featured regularly in magazines like Interview, Vanity Fair, Vogue, I-D and The Face, appearing on covers and in both editorial and commercial contexts. In 1991, she won first prize at the International Festival of Fashion Photography.
Von Unwerth’s 1995 photoshoot of Drew Barrymore for Playboy magazine is among her most popular work and, coupled with an array of album covers for such artists as Janet Jackson and Britney Spears, gave her standing as a celebrity photographer beyond the borders of the fashion world. Von Unwerth’s pictures have a distinctive look and feel, with saturated colors and dense compositions, while also, in certain cases, paying homage to great photographers of the 20th century.
The 2015 Tree of Love, Bavaria, in which a nude model reclines inside the heart-shaped hollow of an enormous decaying trunk, recalls Edward Weston’s sensuous use of the body’s geometry in his compositions. And the dramatically lit Tic Tac Toe from 2010, showing a scantily clad woman posing on a city street at night, evokes Helmut Newton’s atmospheric photograph of a model wearing Yves St. Laurent’s Le Smoking jacket, shot for French Vogue in 1975.
Von Unwerth has published several books of her photographs, including Revenge, in 2003, and Fräulein, in 2009. Those volumes have been joined by one showcasing the photos of her series “Heimat,” in which she playfully combines visual tropes of traditional Bavarian life with her signature eroticism and wit. She is represented by several dealers, including the Staley-Wise Gallery, in New York, and Galerie Trabant, in Kitzbühel, Austria.
Find original Ellen von Unwerth photography on 1stDibs.
Heimat #341 - Limited Edition Fine Art Photography
By Ellen von Unwerth
Located in Vienna, AT
fashion, cinematic storytelling, and empowered femininity. The bold contrast, saturated reds, and lush garden setting create a visually magnetic work that speaks to collectors of con...
Archival Pigment
Heimat #272 - Limited Edition Fine Art Photography
By Ellen von Unwerth
Located in Vienna, AT
Multiple sizes available. A radiant celebration of freedom, femininity, and pastoral sensuality. This artwork belongs to the artist’s celebrated Heimat series, a body of work in whi...
Archival Pigment
Untitled
By Ellen von Unwerth
Located in Vienna, AT
Ellen von Unwerth’s “Sonata” is a masterful expression of the photographer’s celebrated visual style, where sensuality, spontaneity, and theatrical storytelling come together in a si...
Archival Pigment
Madonna, Material Girl II, Portriat, Fine Art Photography, Pop Icon
By Ellen von Unwerth
Located in Vienna, AT
Ellen von Unwerth’s Madonna, Material Girl II is a dazzling portrait of performance, seduction, and pop-cultural glamour. Set within a rich red interior, the image features dramatic ...
Archival Pigment
Freshly Bloomed - Heimat series - Limited Edition Fine Art Photography
By Ellen von Unwerth
Located in Vienna, AT
“Freshly Bloomed” by Ellen von Unwerth is a vibrant and exuberant celebration of femininity, color, and playful sensuality. Captured in von Unwerth’s unmistakable high-energy style, ...
Archival Pigment
Little Beast 2, Story of Olga, Fine Art Photography
By Ellen von Unwerth
Located in Vienna, AT
Provocative picture of two disguised models in rose underwear and with bunny ears on a sofa. Ellen von Unwerth is one of the most famous and influential photographers in the world. H...
Archival Pigment
Untitled
By Ellen von Unwerth
Located in Vienna, AT
Ellen von Unwerth is one of the most famous and influential photographers in the world. Her artistic achievements have been honored with truly great photography awards. She discovere...
Little Beast 2, Story of Olga, Fine Art Photography
By Ellen von Unwerth
Located in Vienna, AT
Provocative picture of two disguised models in rose underwear and with bunny ears on a sofa. Ellen von Unwerth is one of the most famous and influential photographers in the world. H...
Archival Pigment
Bubbly
By Ellen von Unwerth
Located in New York, NY
Ed. 2/3, signed, titled, dated, numbered in ink. Includes black frame. Ellen von Unwerth is a director and photographer who started out working as a fashion model. She was born in Frankfurt, Germany, and began modeling at the age of 20. After being noticed by a photographer on the street, she moved to Paris to begin a career as a fashion model. During her years as a model, she started to feel that the industry was missing an element of freedom. After receiving a camera as a gift from her boyfriend, she began to take her own pictures, which eventually led to an improvised photo-shoot in Africa of her model colleagues. Von Unwerth developed a passion for photography after seeing the published photos of her colleagues. She became famous for her work when she was hired by Guess to shoot an up-and-coming model named Claudia Shchiffer. This photo-shoot created a huge demand for her services in the industry. Since then, von Unwerth has gone on to photograph numerous celebrities and entertainers and has worked for leading magazines like Vogue, Interview, Vanity Fair, The Face, L’Uomo Vogue...
Silver Gelatin
Tête-à-tête, VOGUE Gioiello
By Ellen von Unwerth
Located in New York, NY
Signed by the photographer
Photographic Paper
Madonna, Material Girl, Close-up, Fine Art Photography
By Ellen von Unwerth
Located in Vienna, AT
Madonna, Material Girl, close-up of the popstar by Ellen von Unwerth. All prints are limited edition. Available in multiple sizes. High-end framing on request. All prints are done an...
Archival Pigment
Freshly Bloomed, Heimat series, Fine Art Photography
By Ellen von Unwerth
Located in Vienna, AT
“Freshly Bloomed” by Ellen von Unwerth is a vibrant and exuberant celebration of femininity, color, and playful sensuality. Captured in von Unwerth’s unmistakable high-energy style, ...
Archival Pigment
