Helmut Newton

Helmut Newton was one of the greatest photographers of the 20th century, known for redefining the way women were portrayed in the fashion industry. Born in 1920 in Berlin, Newton’s Jewish background forced him and his family to flee Germany as the Nazis ascended to power. The artist settled in Australia in the 1940s, where he later set up a studio and photographed models for several well-know magazines, including Vogue, Harper’s Bazaar, Playboy and Elle.  

However it wasn't until the 1970's that Newton established his signature aesthetic and modus operandi; a willingness to depict unflinching sexuality and a highly-erotic version of female confidence. Newton enabled fashion photography to depict a more human and carnal version of the typically staid and stylized models. Newton was also credited with helping fashion photography leave the studio and absorb/document the vitality of the street...and the bedroom. Today, Newton's works can be found in the permanent collections of the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, the National Library of Australia in Canberra, the International Center of Photography in New York and the Helmut Newton Foundation in Berlin, which was established in 2003.

Courtesy of Caviar20