Ellen von Unwerth Art
German, b. 1954
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.
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Artist: Ellen von Unwerth
Private Affair, Paris, 2012
By Ellen von Unwerth
Located in New York, NY
Signed by the photographer
Category
2010s Ellen von Unwerth Art
Materials
Photographic Paper
Price Upon Request
Château Marmont, Los Angeles, 2011
By Ellen von Unwerth
Located in New York, NY
Signed by the photographer
Category
2010s Ellen von Unwerth Art
Materials
Photographic Paper
Price Upon Request
Flush: Elle Macpherson, New York, 2004
By Ellen von Unwerth
Located in New York, NY
Signed by the photographer
Category
Early 2000s Ellen von Unwerth Art
Materials
Photographic Paper
Price Upon Request
In The Shower With Rihanna, New York, 2014
By Ellen von Unwerth
Located in New York, NY
Signed by the photographer
Category
2010s Ellen von Unwerth Art
Materials
Photographic Paper
Price Upon Request
Paint Them Black: Kate Moss, Paris, 1994
By Ellen von Unwerth
Located in New York, NY
Signed by the photographer
Category
1990s Ellen von Unwerth Art
Materials
Photographic Paper
Price Upon Request
Harp Lesson, Rouilly-Le-Bas, 2011
By Ellen von Unwerth
Located in New York, NY
Signed by the photographer
Category
2010s Ellen von Unwerth Art
Materials
Photographic Paper
Price Upon Request
Eyes Wide Open, Paris, 2015
By Ellen von Unwerth
Located in New York, NY
Signed by the photographer
Category
2010s Ellen von Unwerth Art
Materials
Photographic Paper
Price Upon Request
Diablo: Cara Delevigne, Los Angeles, 2015
By Ellen von Unwerth
Located in New York, NY
Signed by the photographer
Category
2010s Ellen von Unwerth Art
Materials
Photographic Paper
Price Upon Request
Queen, New York, 2018
By Ellen von Unwerth
Located in New York, NY
Signed by the photographer
Category
2010s Ellen von Unwerth Art
Materials
Photographic Paper
Price Upon Request
Bird, Los Angeles, 2018
By Ellen von Unwerth
Located in New York, NY
Signed by the photographer
Category
2010s Ellen von Unwerth Art
Materials
Photographic Paper
Price Upon Request
Guardians, Paris, 2012
By Ellen von Unwerth
Located in New York, NY
Signed by the photographer
Category
2010s Ellen von Unwerth Art
Materials
Photographic Paper
Price Upon Request
Trippy: Amilna Estevao and Alton Mason, New York, 2017
By Ellen von Unwerth
Located in New York, NY
Signed by the photographer
Category
2010s Ellen von Unwerth Art
Materials
Photographic Paper
Price Upon Request
Nudes at the Royalton, New York, 1992
By Ellen von Unwerth
Located in New York, NY
Signed by the photographer
Category
1990s Ellen von Unwerth Art
Materials
Photographic Paper
Price Upon Request
I Do It My Way, New York, 1995
By Ellen von Unwerth
Located in New York, NY
Signed by the photographer
Category
1990s Ellen von Unwerth Art
Materials
Photographic Paper
Price Upon Request
Playboy Bunnies, New York, 1995
By Ellen von Unwerth
Located in New York, NY
Signed by the photographer
Category
1990s Ellen von Unwerth Art
Materials
Photographic Paper
Price Upon Request
Jardin du Luxembourg: Deon Bray and Karen Mulder, Paris, 1991
By Ellen von Unwerth
Located in New York, NY
Signed by the photographer
Category
1990s Ellen von Unwerth Art
Materials
Photographic Paper
Legs Crossed: Christy Turlington and Linda Evangelista, Cannes, 1990
By Ellen von Unwerth
Located in New York, NY
Signed by the photographer
Category
1990s Ellen von Unwerth Art
Materials
Photographic Paper
Afterparty: Dioni Tabbers and Hana Jirickova, Los Angeles, 2011
By Ellen von Unwerth
Located in New York, NY
Signed by the photographer
Category
2010s Ellen von Unwerth Art
Materials
Photographic Paper
Galliano, Paris, 1993
By Ellen von Unwerth
Located in New York, NY
Signed by the photographer
Category
1990s Ellen von Unwerth Art
Materials
Photographic Paper
Price Upon Request
Kate Moss and Karl Lagerfeld, Paris, 1996
By Ellen von Unwerth
Located in New York, NY
signed by the photographer
Category
1990s Ellen von Unwerth Art
Materials
Photographic Paper
Price Upon Request
Just Checking: Long Island, 1997
By Ellen von Unwerth
Located in New York, NY
signed by the photographer
Category
1990s Ellen von Unwerth Art
Materials
Photographic Paper
Price Upon Request
David Bowie and Kate Moss, New York, 2003
By Ellen von Unwerth
Located in New York, NY
Signed by the photographer
Category
Early 2000s Ellen von Unwerth Art
Materials
Photographic Paper
Price Upon Request
Place des Vosges, Paris, 2023
By Ellen von Unwerth
Located in New York, NY
Signed by the photographer
Category
2010s Ellen von Unwerth Art
Materials
Photographic Paper
Price Upon Request
Second Skin: Anton Thiemke, Milan, 2022
By Ellen von Unwerth
Located in New York, NY
Signed by the photographer
Category
2010s Ellen von Unwerth Art
Materials
Photographic Paper
Price Upon Request
Fallen Party Angel, Paris, 2012
By Ellen von Unwerth
Located in New York, NY
Signed by the photographer
Category
2010s Ellen von Unwerth Art
Materials
Photographic Paper
Price Upon Request
Invitation Only, Paris, 2007
By Ellen von Unwerth
Located in New York, NY
Signed by the photographer
Category
Early 2000s Ellen von Unwerth Art
Materials
Photographic Paper
Price Upon Request
Heidi, Kitzbuhel, 2003
By Ellen von Unwerth
Located in New York, NY
Signed by the photographer
Category
Early 2000s Ellen von Unwerth Art
Materials
Photographic Paper
Price Upon Request
Bye Bye Paris: Olya Ivanisevic, Paris, 2006
By Ellen von Unwerth
Located in New York, NY
Signed by the photographer
Category
Early 2000s Ellen von Unwerth Art
Materials
Photographic Paper
Price Upon Request
Emma de Caunes, French Playboy, 2009
By Ellen von Unwerth
Located in New York, NY
Signed by the photographer
Category
Early 2000s Ellen von Unwerth Art
Materials
Photographic Paper
Price Upon Request
Unmasking: Demi Moore, New York, 1996
By Ellen von Unwerth
Located in New York, NY
Signed by the photographer
Category
1990s Ellen von Unwerth Art
Materials
Photographic Paper
Price Upon Request
Joy, New York, 2012
By Ellen von Unwerth
Located in New York, NY
Signed by the photographer
Category
2010s Ellen von Unwerth Art
Materials
Photographic Paper
Price Upon Request
POP Princess, London, 2012
By Ellen von Unwerth
Located in New York, NY
Signed by the photographer
Category
2010s Ellen von Unwerth Art
Materials
Photographic Paper
Price Upon Request
Intermission: Linda Evangelista and Christy Turlington, Cannes, 1990
By Ellen von Unwerth
Located in New York, NY
Signed by the Photographer
Category
1990s Ellen von Unwerth Art
Materials
Photographic Paper
Tête-à-Tête, Paris, 2008
By Ellen von Unwerth
Located in New York, NY
Signed by the photographer
Category
Early 2000s Ellen von Unwerth Art
Materials
Photographic Paper
Price Upon Request
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...
Category
1990s Ellen von Unwerth Art
Materials
Silver Gelatin
Price Upon Request
Tête-à-tête, VOGUE Gioiello
By Ellen von Unwerth
Located in New York, NY
Signed by the photographer
Category
Early 2000s Ellen von Unwerth Art
Materials
Photographic Paper
Price Upon Request
Shalom Harlow in John Galliano
By Ellen von Unwerth
Located in New York, NY
Signed by the photographer
Category
1990s Ellen von Unwerth Art
Materials
Silver Gelatin
Price Upon Request
I Did It My Way
By Ellen von Unwerth
Located in New York, NY
Signed by the photographer
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Ellen von Unwerth Art
Materials
Photographic Paper
Price Upon Request
Gaga Incognito
By Ellen von Unwerth
Located in New York, NY
Signed by the photographer
Please inquire about additional limited sizes and editions
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Ellen von Unwerth Art
Materials
Archival Pigment
Price Upon Request
Follow Me, Paris, 2004
By Ellen von Unwerth
Located in New York, NY
Signed by the photographer
Edition of 15
Category
Early 2000s Ellen von Unwerth Art
Materials
Silver Gelatin
Price Upon Request
Tree of Love - Nude in a Heart Shaped Tree Trunk, Fine Art Photography, 2015
By Ellen von Unwerth
Located in Vienna, AT
A Nude Model cuddles into a hollow Tree Trunk in the shape of a heart, photographed by Ellen von Unwerth in 2015 for her Heimat Series. All prints are limited edition. Available in m...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Ellen von Unwerth Art
Materials
Archival Pigment
Deep Down in Chinatown, New York
By Ellen von Unwerth
Located in New York, NY
Fuji Crystal Archival Print.
Signed by the photographer.
Additional sizes may be available upon request.
Category
2010s Ellen von Unwerth Art
Materials
Photographic Paper
Price Upon Request
Booh!, New York (Metrograph Cinema)
By Ellen von Unwerth
Located in New York, NY
Signed by the photographer
Category
2010s Ellen von Unwerth Art
Materials
C Print
Price Upon Request
Bye Bye Paris, Paris
By Ellen von Unwerth
Located in New York, NY
Signed by the photographer
Category
Early 2000s Ellen von Unwerth Art
Materials
C Print
Price Upon Request
Bonheur (Happiness), Nice
By Ellen von Unwerth
Located in New York, NY
Signed by the photographer
Category
1990s Ellen von Unwerth Art
Materials
Silver Gelatin
Price Upon Request
Bubbly II, Paris
By Ellen von Unwerth
Located in New York, NY
Signed by the photographer
Category
1990s Ellen von Unwerth Art
Materials
C Print
Price Upon Request
Choker, Prague
By Ellen von Unwerth
Located in New York, NY
Signed by the photographer
Category
1990s Ellen von Unwerth Art
Materials
C Print
Price Upon Request
Dog Walkers, Cannes
By Ellen von Unwerth
Located in New York, NY
Signed by the photographer
Category
1990s Ellen von Unwerth Art
Materials
Silver Gelatin
Price Upon Request
Marquise, Paris
By Ellen von Unwerth
Located in New York, NY
This print is signed by the photographer and is in an edition of 3. Please inquire for additional sizes.
Category
1990s Ellen von Unwerth Art
Materials
C Print
Price Upon Request
Garce, Paris
By Ellen von Unwerth
Located in New York, NY
This print is signed by the photographer and is in an edition of 15.
Category
Early 2000s Ellen von Unwerth Art
Materials
Silver Gelatin
Price Upon Request
Freshly Bloomed, Bavaria
By Ellen von Unwerth
Located in New York, NY
Signed by the photographer.
Category
2010s Ellen von Unwerth Art
Materials
C Print
Price Upon Request
Bathing Beauties II, Paris
By Ellen von Unwerth
Located in New York, NY
Signed by the photographer.
Category
1990s Ellen von Unwerth Art
Materials
C Print
Price Upon Request
Playboy Bunnies, New York
By Ellen von Unwerth
Located in New York, NY
Signed by the photographer.
Category
1990s Ellen von Unwerth Art
Materials
Silver Gelatin
Price Upon Request
Karen, Nina, Danny, and Anne, New York
By Ellen von Unwerth
Located in New York, NY
This photograph is an Edition of 15. All editions are signed by the photographer. Larger sizes may be available upon request.
Category
1990s Ellen von Unwerth Art
Materials
Silver Gelatin
Price Upon Request
Penelope Cruz, Paris
By Ellen von Unwerth
Located in New York, NY
This photograph is an edition of 15. All editions are signed by the photographer. Larger sizes may be available upon request.
Category
Early 2000s Ellen von Unwerth Art
Materials
Silver Gelatin
Price Upon Request
Sophia Loren, New York
By Ellen von Unwerth
Located in New York, NY
This photograph is an edition of 15. All editions are signed by the photographer. Larger sizes may be available upon request.
Category
1990s Ellen von Unwerth Art
Materials
Silver Gelatin
Price Upon Request
Mask: Nadja Auermann, VOGUE UK, Paris
By Ellen von Unwerth
Located in New York, NY
This photograph is an edition of 7. All editions are signed by the photographer. Larger sizes may be available upon request.
Category
1990s Ellen von Unwerth Art
Materials
Silver Gelatin
Price Upon Request
Rossy de Palma and Azzedine Alaïa for Yo Dona Magazine
By Ellen von Unwerth
Located in New York, NY
This photograph is an edition of 15. All editions are signed by the photographer. Larger sizes may be available upon request.
Category
2010s Ellen von Unwerth Art
Materials
Silver Gelatin
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...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Ellen von Unwerth Art
Materials
Archival Pigment
Price Upon Request
von Unwerth, The Big Catch, Bavaria, Color Photography, Fine Art Print
By Ellen von Unwerth
Located in Los Angeles, CA
The Big Catch, Bavaria, 2015
C-print on Fujiflex paper
70.8 x 47.2 in (180 x 120 cm)
Edition of 3
The photographer
Ellen von Unwerth worked as a top fashion model for 10 years, before taking up the camera and becoming one of the world’s most in-demand fashion photographers. Her editorial work has featured in countless magazines, including Vogue, Interview, Vanity Fair, and i-D, while her major advertising campaigns include Victoria’s Secret, Banana Republic...
Category
2010s Ellen von Unwerth Art
Materials
Other Medium, Digital Pigment
Ellen Von Unwerth art for sale on 1stDibs.
Find a wide variety of authentic Ellen von Unwerth art available for sale on 1stDibs. If you’re browsing the collection of art to introduce a pop of color in a neutral corner of your living room or bedroom, you can find work that includes elements of orange, red, pink and other colors. You can also browse by medium to find art by Ellen von Unwerth in archival pigment print, pigment print, silver gelatin print and more. Much of the original work by this artist or collective was created during the 21st century and contemporary and is mostly associated with the contemporary style. Not every interior allows for large Ellen von Unwerth art, so small editions measuring 16 inches across are available. Customers who are interested in this artist might also find the work of Frank Schott, Joachim Schmeisser, and Axel Crieger.