Lillian Bassman

(American, 1917–2012)

Lillian Bassman was a famed American fashion photographer renowned for her work at Harper’s Bazaar magazine. Bassman’s hallmark images are high-contrast black-and-white images of society women, actresses, and models from the 1950s and 1960s—especially of contemporary top model Barbara Mullen, who was her muse. Born on June 15, 1917 in Brooklyn, NY, Bassman went on to study at the Textiles High School in Manhattan where she met the photographer Alexey Brodovitch, and she later attended night classes at the Pratt Institute for fashion illustration. She began to work for Harper’s Bazaar under Brodovitch in the 1940s, where she promoted the careers of Richard Avedon, Robert Frank, and her husband Paul Himmel as the photo editor of the magazine. By the 1970s, Bassman’s photography style was no longer considered fashionable, and so she abandoned commercial work but continued to practice photography for the remainder of her life. Today, her works are in the collections of the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston and the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York, among others. Bassman died on February 13, 2012 in New York, NY.

Lillian Bassman Artworks

Lillian Bassman (397 results)

Barbara Mullen, Hotel Ritz, Paris', 1949

Lillian Bassman

Barbara Mullen, Hotel Ritz, Paris', 1949

Sale Date: April 13, 2022

Auction Closed

Barbara Mullins,

Lillian Bassman

Barbara Mullins, "Harper's Bazaar", Ritz..., 1949

Sale Date: April 7, 2022

Auction Closed

Barbara Mullen,

Lillian Bassman

Barbara Mullen, "Harpers Bazaar", 1954, 1954

Sale Date: April 7, 2022

Auction Closed

Barbara Mullen,

Lillian Bassman

Barbara Mullen, "Harper's Bazaar", 1954, 1954

Sale Date: April 7, 2022

Auction Closed

Dior Salon, Paris,

Lillian Bassman

Dior Salon, Paris, "Harper's Bazaar", 1949, 1949

Sale Date: April 7, 2022

Auction Closed

Marilyn Ambrose,

Lillian Bassman

Marilyn Ambrose, "Harper's Bazaar", 1954, 1954

Sale Date: April 7, 2022

Auction Closed

Next to Nothing, Model Unknown, New York,..., 1948

Lillian Bassman

Next to Nothing, Model Unknown, New York,..., 1948

Sale Date: April 7, 2022

Auction Closed

The Little Furs, Barbara Mullen, Russian..., 1955

Lillian Bassman

The Little Furs, Barbara Mullen, Russian..., 1955

Sale Date: April 7, 2022

Auction Closed

More Fashion Mileage Per Dress, Barbara..., 1956

Lillian Bassman

More Fashion Mileage Per Dress, Barbara..., 1956

Sale Date: April 5, 2022

Auction Closed

The V-Back Evenings, Suzy Parker, Dress by..., 1955

Lillian Bassman

The V-Back Evenings, Suzy Parker, Dress by..., 1955

Sale Date: April 5, 2022

Auction Closed

Untitled, 1950s, 1950–1959

Lillian Bassman and Paul Himmel

Untitled, 1950s, 1950–1959

Sale Date: April 5, 2022

Auction Closed

Barbara Mullen aboard Le Bateau-Mouche,..., 1960

Lillian Bassman

Barbara Mullen aboard Le Bateau-Mouche,..., 1960

Sale Date: April 6, 2022

Auction Closed

The V-Back Evenings: Suzy Parker, Harper's..., 1955

Lillian Bassman

The V-Back Evenings: Suzy Parker, Harper's..., 1955

Sale Date: April 6, 2022

Auction Closed

More Fashion Mileage Per Dress, Barbara..., 1954

Lillian Bassman

More Fashion Mileage Per Dress, Barbara..., 1954

Sale Date: March 9, 2022

Auction Closed

White Crepe, A New Mink Evelyn Tripp,..., 1957

Lillian Bassman

White Crepe, A New Mink Evelyn Tripp,..., 1957

Sale Date: December 1, 2021

Auction Closed

The Wonders of Water,

Lillian Bassman

The Wonders of Water, "Harper's Bazaar, 1959

Sale Date: October 4, 2021

Auction Closed

Betty Threat, Harper's Bazaar, New York, 1957

Lillian Bassman

Betty Threat, Harper's Bazaar, New York, 1957

Sale Date: October 7, 2021

Auction Closed

Barbara Mullen, Flat Hat, Bare Back,..., 1958

Lillian Bassman

Barbara Mullen, Flat Hat, Bare Back,..., 1958

Sale Date: October 7, 2021

Auction Closed

The wonders of water, 1959, 1959

Lillian Bassman

The wonders of water, 1959, 1959

Sale Date: July 9, 2021

Auction Closed

More Ten O'clock Scholars, Sandy Brown..., 1952

Lillian Bassman

More Ten O'clock Scholars, Sandy Brown..., 1952

Sale Date: July 9, 2021

Auction Closed

Anne Saint-Marie, New York, 1958, 1958

Lillian Bassman

Anne Saint-Marie, New York, 1958, 1958

Sale Date: June 29, 2021

Auction Closed

Margie Cato (Test Shoot), New York, 1950

Lillian Bassman

Margie Cato (Test Shoot), New York, 1950

Sale Date: June 30, 2021

Auction Closed

Carmen, Charles James Dress, New York,..., 1960

Lillian Bassman

Carmen, Charles James Dress, New York,..., 1960

Sale Date: June 30, 2021

Auction Closed

Barbara Mullen Blowing Kiss (variant),..., 1950

Lillian Bassman

Barbara Mullen Blowing Kiss (variant),..., 1950

Sale Date: May 27, 2021

Auction Closed

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