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 (318 results)

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

Lillian Bassman

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

Sale Date: April 30, 2024

Auction Closed

Mary Jane Russell, Harper's Bazaar, 1951, 1951

Lillian Bassman

Mary Jane Russell, Harper's Bazaar, 1951, 1951

Sale Date: February 28, 2024

Auction Closed

Barbara Mullen, Harpers Bazaar, 1950

Lillian Bassman

Barbara Mullen, Harpers Bazaar, 1950

Sale Date: February 14, 2024

Auction Closed

Fantasy On The Dance Floor: Barbara Mullen..., 1949

Lillian Bassman

Fantasy On The Dance Floor: Barbara Mullen..., 1949

Sale Date: November 30, 2023

Auction Closed

Across the Restaurant, Barbara Mullen, dress , 1949

Lillian Bassman

Across the Restaurant, Barbara Mullen, dress , 1949

Sale Date: November 30, 2023

Auction Closed

Paris Gala Night: Barbara Mullen in a Dress..., 1949

Lillian Bassman

Paris Gala Night: Barbara Mullen in a Dress..., 1949

Sale Date: November 30, 2023

Auction Closed

Margie Cato [test shoot] New York, 1950

Lillian Bassman

Margie Cato [test shoot] New York, 1950

Sale Date: November 28, 2023

Auction Closed

Carmen for Harper's Bazaar, New York 1959, 1959

Lillian Bassman

Carmen for Harper's Bazaar, New York 1959, 1959

Sale Date: November 24, 2023

Auction Closed

Barbara Mullins, Ritz Hotel, Paris (for..., 1949

Lillian Bassman

Barbara Mullins, Ritz Hotel, Paris (for..., 1949

Sale Date: October 17, 2023

Auction Closed

Touch of Dew,' Lisa Fonssagrives, New York,..., 1961

Lillian Bassman

Touch of Dew,' Lisa Fonssagrives, New York,..., 1961

Sale Date: October 11, 2023

Auction Closed

Golden Fox, Blue Fox, Marilyn Ambrose,..., 1954

Lillian Bassman

Golden Fox, Blue Fox, Marilyn Ambrose,..., 1954

Sale Date: October 11, 2023

Auction Closed

Times Square: The Night Fantastic, 1997

Lillian Bassman

Times Square: The Night Fantastic, 1997

Sale Date: October 6, 2023

Auction Closed

It's a Cinch, Carmen, New York, Harper's..., 1951

Lillian Bassman

It's a Cinch, Carmen, New York, Harper's..., 1951

Sale Date: October 6, 2023

Auction Closed

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

Lillian Bassman

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

Sale Date: July 27, 2023

Auction Closed

Times Square: The Night Fantastic, 1997, 1997

Lillian Bassman

Times Square: The Night Fantastic, 1997, 1997

Sale Date: July 13, 2023

Auction Closed

Marilyn Ambrose, Harper's Bazaar, novembre..., 1954

Lillian Bassman

Marilyn Ambrose, Harper's Bazaar, novembre..., 1954

Sale Date: June 6, 2023

Auction Closed

Harper'S Bazaar, Barbara Mullen, 1947

Lillian Bassman

Harper'S Bazaar, Barbara Mullen, 1947

Sale Date: May 31, 2023

Auction Closed

Carmen, 1963

Lillian Bassman

Sale Date: June 1, 2023

Auction Closed

Barbara Mullen, Hotel Ritz, Paris', 1949

Lillian Bassman

Barbara Mullen, Hotel Ritz, Paris', 1949

Sale Date: April 5, 2023

Auction Closed

Barbara Mullen

Lillian Bassman

Barbara Mullen

Sale Date: March 14, 2023

Auction Closed

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

Lillian Bassman

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

Sale Date: March 8, 2023

Auction Closed

Jean Shrimpton, 1955

Lillian Bassman

Jean Shrimpton, 1955

Sale Date: December 19, 2022

Auction Closed

Barbara Mullen in a Gown by Irene, New York, 1956

Lillian Bassman

Barbara Mullen in a Gown by Irene, New York, 1956

Sale Date: November 22, 2022

Auction Closed

The Little Furs: Mary Jane Russell in a..., 1955

Lillian Bassman

The Little Furs: Mary Jane Russell in a..., 1955

Sale Date: November 22, 2022

Auction Closed

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