Pomiędzy błyskiem a cieniem leży prawda. Portrety Irvinga Penna z przełomu lat 40. i 50. XX wieku
The methodology of photographic interpretation and the art critic’s workshop – selected strategies

Summary/Abstract: This article explores the formative period in the career of Irving Penn, focusing on his portrait photography from the late 1940s and early 1950s. While Penn is widely recognized for his iconic fashion images for Vogue, the study highlights his lesser-known yet profoundly influential series Small Trades, which portrays workers from Paris, London, and New York in studio settings. By isolating his subjects from their natural environments and employing minimalist scenography, Penn emphasized the individuality and dignity of each model, challenging social hierarchies and conventions of portraiture. The article also examines Penn’s existential portraits of cultural figures, created in confined studio corners, which stripped away glamour to reveal psychological depth. Through analysis of lighting techniques, compositional strategies, and the use of platinum printing, the study demonstrates how Penn’s work bridges documentary and artistic photography, offering a humanistic and egalitarian vision of postwar society. His portraits are presented as both sociological documents and timeless reflections on the human condition.

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