Ellen von Unwerth Black and White Photography
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.
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Artist: Ellen von Unwerth
Kate Moss, Paris
By Ellen von Unwerth
Located in Zurich, CH
Ellen VON UNWERTH (*1954, Germany)
Kate Moss, Paris, 1995
Unique Polaroid
Image 7.5 x 9.5 cm (3 x 3 3/4 in.)
Sheet 8.6 x 10.7 cm (3 3/8 x 4 1/4 in.)
Frame 29 x 24.5 x 4 cm (11 3/8 x ...
Category
1990s Contemporary Ellen von Unwerth Black and White Photography
Materials
Polaroid
Briquet, Naomi Campbell
By Ellen von Unwerth
Located in Zurich, CH
Ellen VON UNWERTH (*1954, Germany)
Briquet, Naomi Campbell,, 1990
Hand proofed by the artist
Silver gelatin print, vintage print
40 x 30 cm (15 3/4 x 11 3/4 in.)
signed
Biography:
B...
Category
1990s Contemporary Ellen von Unwerth Black and White Photography
Materials
Silver Gelatin
Sisterhood, New Orleans
By Ellen von Unwerth
Located in Zurich, CH
Ellen VON UNWERTH (*1954, Germany)
Sisterhood, New Orleans, 1998
Unique Polaroid
Image 7.5 x 9.5 cm (3 x 3 3/4 in.)
Sheet 8.6 x 10.7 cm (3 3/8 x 4 1/4 in.)
Frame 29 x 24.5 x 4 cm (11...
Category
1990s Contemporary Ellen von Unwerth Black and White Photography
Materials
Polaroid
Haute Couture, Paris, 1991, Ellen Von Unwerth
By Ellen von Unwerth
Located in Palm Desert, CA
This fabulous photogragh was taken by Ellen von Unwerth, notable German photographer. It was shot on a movie set in 1991. The photo portrays 2 women, on the set of a movie, in Folli...
Category
1990s Modern Ellen von Unwerth Black and White Photography
Materials
Glass, Paper
Belle de Nuit, Shalom Harlow for Vogue France
By Ellen von Unwerth
Located in Zurich, CH
Ellen VON UNWERTH (*1954, Germany)
Belle de Nuit, Shalom Harlow for Vogue France, 1993
Silver gelatin print, vintage print
50 x 40 cm (19 3/4 x 15 3/4 in.)
Biography:
Born in German...
Category
1990s Contemporary Ellen von Unwerth Black and White Photography
Materials
Silver Gelatin
Steamy, New Orleans
By Ellen von Unwerth
Located in Zurich, CH
Ellen VON UNWERTH (*1954, Germany)
Steamy, New Orleans, 1998
Unique Polaroid
10.8 x 8.5 cm (4 1/4 x 3 3/8 in.)
Biography:
Born in Germany in 1954, Ellen von Unwerth is widely regard...
Category
1990s Contemporary Ellen von Unwerth Black and White Photography
Materials
Polaroid
Tatjana, Paris
By Ellen von Unwerth
Located in Zurich, CH
Ellen VON UNWERTH (*1954, Germany)
Tatjana, Paris, 1992/1994
Silver gelatin print
180 x 120 cm (70 7/8 x 47 1/4 in.)
vintage print
Biography:
Born in Germany in 1954, Ellen von Unwe...
Category
1990s Contemporary Ellen von Unwerth Black and White Photography
Materials
Silver Gelatin
"Ecstasy", Kate Moss
By Ellen von Unwerth
Located in Zurich, CH
Ellen VON UNWERTH (*1954, Germany)
"Ecstasy", Kate Moss, 1995
Silver gelatin print, later print
50 x 40 cm (19 3/4 x 15 3/4 in.)
Edition of 15
Biography:
Born in Germany in 1954, El...
Category
1990s Contemporary Ellen von Unwerth Black and White Photography
Materials
Silver Gelatin
Hold on ! , Adriana Lima for New York Times Magazine
By Ellen von Unwerth
Located in Zurich, CH
Ellen VON UNWERTH (*1954, Germany)
Hold on ! , Adriana Lima for New York Times Magazine, 1999
Silver gelatin print, vintage print
30 x 40 cm (11 3/4 x 15 3/4 in.)
Biography:
Born in...
Category
1990s Contemporary Ellen von Unwerth Black and White Photography
Materials
Silver Gelatin
Galliano, Paris
By Ellen von Unwerth
Located in Zurich, CH
Ellen VON UNWERTH (*1954, Germany)
Galliano, Paris, 1993
Silver gelatin print, later print
60 x 50 cm (23 5/8 x 19 3/4 in.)
Edition of 15
Biography:
Born in Germany in 1954, Ellen v...
Category
1990s Contemporary Ellen von Unwerth Black and White Photography
Materials
Silver Gelatin
Dance, Dance, Dance, Claudia Schiffer for Guess, Viareggio, Italy
By Ellen von Unwerth
Located in Zurich, CH
Ellen VON UNWERTH (*1954, Germany)
Dance, Dance, Dance, Claudia Schiffer for Guess, Viareggio, Italy
Silver gelatin print on Baryta paper, later print
150 x 220 cm (59 x 86 5/8 in.)
...
Category
1980s Contemporary Ellen von Unwerth Black and White Photography
Materials
Silver Gelatin
"Take the bow", Deon Bray for Vogue US
By Ellen von Unwerth
Located in Zurich, CH
Ellen VON UNWERTH (*1954, Germany)
"Take the bow", Deon Bray for Vogue US, 1991
Silver gelatin print, later print
60 x 50 cm (23 5/8 x 19 3/4 in.)
Edition of 15
Biography:
Born in G...
Category
1990s Contemporary Ellen von Unwerth Black and White Photography
Materials
Silver Gelatin
Cinema Verité
, Kate Moss Vogue US
By Ellen von Unwerth
Located in Zurich, CH
Ellen VON UNWERTH (*1954, Germany)
'Cinema Verité', Kate Moss Vogue US, 1995
Silver gelatin print, vintage print
30 x 40 cm (11 3/4 x 15 3/4 in.)
Biography:
Born in Germany in 1954,...
Category
1990s Contemporary Ellen von Unwerth Black and White Photography
Materials
Silver Gelatin
Tango, Nadja Auermann, Marocco
By Ellen von Unwerth
Located in Zurich, CH
Ellen VON UNWERTH (*1954, Germany)
Tango, Nadja Auermann, Marocco, 1994
Silver gelatin print, vintage print
40 x 30 cm (15 3/4 x 11 3/4 in.)
Biography:
Born in Germany in 1954, Elle...
Category
1990s Contemporary Ellen von Unwerth Black and White Photography
Materials
Silver Gelatin
Chapeau Claque, Nadja Auermann, Marocco
By Ellen von Unwerth
Located in Zurich, CH
Ellen VON UNWERTH (*1954, Germany)
Chapeau Claque, Nadja Auermann, Marocco, 1994
Silver gelatin print, vintage print
40 x 30 cm (15 3/4 x 11 3/4 in.)
Biography:
Born in Germany in 1...
Category
1990s Contemporary Ellen von Unwerth Black and White Photography
Materials
Silver Gelatin
"Cinderella", Shalom Harlow
By Ellen von Unwerth
Located in Zurich, CH
Ellen VON UNWERTH (*1954, Germany)
"Cinderella", Shalom Harlow, 1993
Silver gelatin print, later print
60 x 50 cm (23 5/8 x 19 3/4 in.)
Edition of 15
Biography:
Born in Germany in 1...
Category
1990s Contemporary Ellen von Unwerth Black and White Photography
Materials
Silver Gelatin
Freaks, Adriana Lima for Vogue Italia
By Ellen von Unwerth
Located in Zurich, CH
Ellen VON UNWERTH (*1954, Germany)
Freaks, Adriana Lima for Vogue Italia
Unique Polaroid
8.5 x 10.8 cm (3 3/8 x 4 1/4 in.)
Signed
Biography:
Born in Germany in 1954, Ellen von Unwer...
Category
Early 2000s Contemporary Ellen von Unwerth Black and White Photography
Materials
Polaroid
Warm Bath, Claudia Schiffer, LEI
By Ellen von Unwerth
Located in Zurich, CH
Ellen VON UNWERTH (*1954, Germany)
Warm Bath, Claudia Schiffer, LEI, 1989
Silver gelatin print, vintage print
42 x 29.7 cm (16 1/2 x 11 3/4 in.)
Biography:
Born in Germany in 1954, ...
Category
1980s Contemporary Ellen von Unwerth Black and White Photography
Materials
Silver Gelatin
"Devil in the Eye", Nadja Auermann for Vogue UK
By Ellen von Unwerth
Located in Zurich, CH
Ellen VON UNWERTH (*1954, Germany)
"Devil in the Eye", Nadja Auermann for Vogue UK , 1991
Silver gelatin print, later print
60 x 50 cm (23 5/8 x 19 3/4 in.)
Edition of 15
Biography:...
Category
1990s Contemporary Ellen von Unwerth Black and White Photography
Materials
Silver Gelatin
Upside down, Drew Barrymore for Vogue US, Coney Island
By Ellen von Unwerth
Located in Zurich, CH
Ellen VON UNWERTH (*1954, Germany)
Upside down, Drew Barrymore for Vogue US, Coney Island, 1994
Silver gelatin print, later print
60 x 50 cm (23 5/8 x 19 3/4 in.)
Edition of 15
Biog...
Category
1990s Contemporary Ellen von Unwerth Black and White Photography
Materials
Silver Gelatin
Girl in the cage, Alma Jodorowski for L
Officiel, Paris
By Ellen von Unwerth
Located in Zurich, CH
Ellen VON UNWERTH (*1954, Germany)
Girl in the cage, Alma Jodorowski for L'Officiel, Paris, 2011
Silver gelatin print, later print
75 x 50 cm (29 1/2 x 19 3/4 in.)
Edition of 15
Bio...
Category
2010s Contemporary Ellen von Unwerth Black and White Photography
Materials
Silver Gelatin
"Souk", Nadja Auermann
By Ellen von Unwerth
Located in Zurich, CH
Ellen VON UNWERTH (*1954, Germany)
"Souk", Nadja Auermann, 1992
Silver gelatin print, later print
60 x 50 cm (23 5/8 x 19 3/4 in.)
Edition of 15
Biography:
Born in Germany in 1954, ...
Category
1990s Contemporary Ellen von Unwerth Black and White Photography
Materials
Silver Gelatin
Dinner, The Story of Olga, Fine Art Photography, 2010-12
By Ellen von Unwerth
Located in Vienna, AT
Black and white photography of a threesome by the extraordinary Ellen Von Unwerth for her Photo Series The Story of Olga.
All prints are limited edition. Available in multiple sizes...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Ellen von Unwerth Black and White Photography
Materials
Archival Pigment
Madonna, Material Girl, Close-up, Fine Art Photography
By Ellen von Unwerth
Located in Vienna, AT
Madonna, Material Girl, close-up of the popstar by Ellen von Unwerth. All prints are limited edition. Available in multiple sizes. High-end framing on request. All prints are done an...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Ellen von Unwerth Black and White Photography
Materials
Archival Pigment
Bienvenue - Christina Aguilera, Close-up, Fine Art Photography, 2004
By Ellen von Unwerth
Located in Vienna, AT
All prints are limited edition. Available in multiple sizes. High-end framing on request. All prints are done and signed by the artist. The collector receives an additional certifica...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Ellen von Unwerth Black and White Photography
Materials
Archival Pigment
Guess Who, Claudia Schiffer for Guess, Nashville - Fine Art Photography, 1989
By Ellen von Unwerth
Located in Vienna, AT
Claudia Schiffer in jeans and bra, standing on a car. Photographed by Ellen von Unwerth for the 'Guess Who' Campaign in 1989. All prints are limited edition. Available in multiple si...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Ellen von Unwerth Black and White Photography
Materials
Archival Pigment
Champagne O
Clock - Nude in Heels in Mirrored Hall, Fine Art Photography, 2016
By Ellen von Unwerth
Located in Vienna, AT
Nude black and white Portrait of Topmodel Claudia Schiffer, photographed by Ellen von Unwerth in Deauville in 1990. All prints are limited edition. Available in multiple sizes. High-...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Ellen von Unwerth Black and White Photography
Materials
Archival Pigment
Claudia Schiffer for Guess - Portrait in Lace Top, Fine Art Photography, 1989
By Ellen von Unwerth
Located in Vienna, AT
A black-and-white Portrait of model Claudia Schiffer in a black lace corset, photographed by Ellen von Unwerth for Guess in 1989. All prints are limited edition. Available in multipl...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Ellen von Unwerth Black and White Photography
Materials
Archival Pigment
Christy Turlington, VOGUE
By Ellen von Unwerth
Located in New York, NY
Edition of 15
Signed by the photographer on the verso
Category
1990s Ellen von Unwerth Black and White Photography
Materials
Silver Gelatin
Price Upon Request
Again?, New York
By Ellen von Unwerth
Located in New York, NY
Edition of 15
Signed by the photographer on the verso
Category
1990s Ellen von Unwerth Black and White Photography
Materials
Silver Gelatin
Price Upon Request
Invitation Only, Paris, 2007
By Ellen von Unwerth
Located in New York, NY
Signed by the photographer on a label of authenticity
Category
Early 2000s Ellen von Unwerth Black and White Photography
Materials
Silver Gelatin
Price Upon Request
Carmin, Paris, 2003
By Ellen von Unwerth
Located in New York, NY
Signed by the photographer
Category
Early 2000s Ellen von Unwerth Black and White Photography
Materials
Photographic Paper
Price Upon Request
Bees Do It, Paris, 2012
By Ellen von Unwerth
Located in New York, NY
signed by the photographer
Category
2010s Ellen von Unwerth Black and White Photography
Materials
Photographic Paper
Price Upon Request
Boss Bitch, Berlin, 2011
By Ellen von Unwerth
Located in New York, NY
signed by the photographer
Category
2010s Ellen von Unwerth Black and White Photography
Materials
Photographic Paper
Price Upon Request
The Pinch, Paris, 2008
By Ellen von Unwerth
Located in New York, NY
signed by the photographer
Category
Early 2000s Ellen von Unwerth Black and White Photography
Materials
Photographic Paper
Price Upon Request
Swanky Panky, New York, 2011
By Ellen von Unwerth
Located in New York, NY
signed by the photographer
Category
2010s Ellen von Unwerth Black and White Photography
Materials
Photographic Paper
Price Upon Request
Danger Kitty!: Zoë Kravitz, New York, 2022
By Ellen von Unwerth
Located in New York, NY
signed by the photographer
Category
2010s Ellen von Unwerth Black and White Photography
Materials
Photographic Paper
Price Upon Request
Mardi Gras, New Orleans, 1998
By Ellen von Unwerth
Located in New York, NY
Signed by the photographer
Category
1990s Ellen von Unwerth Black and White Photography
Materials
Photographic Paper
Price Upon Request
Games, New York, 2013
By Ellen von Unwerth
Located in New York, NY
signed by the photographer
Category
2010s Ellen von Unwerth Black and White Photography
Materials
Photographic Paper
Price Upon Request
Pigalle, Paris, 2012
By Ellen von Unwerth
Located in New York, NY
Signed by the photographer
Category
2010s Ellen von Unwerth Black and White Photography
Materials
Photographic Paper
Price Upon Request
Parading, Paris, 2010
By Ellen von Unwerth
Located in New York, NY
signed by the photographer
Category
2010s Ellen von Unwerth Black and White Photography
Materials
Photographic Paper
Price Upon Request
Private Affair, Paris, 2012
By Ellen von Unwerth
Located in New York, NY
Signed by the photographer
Category
2010s Ellen von Unwerth Black and White Photography
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 Black and White Photography
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 Black and White Photography
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 Black and White Photography
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 Black and White Photography
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 Black and White Photography
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 Black and White Photography
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 Black and White Photography
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 Black and White Photography
Materials
Photographic Paper
Price Upon Request
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 Black and White Photography
Materials
Photographic Paper
Galliano, Paris, 1993
By Ellen von Unwerth
Located in New York, NY
Signed by the photographer
Category
1990s Ellen von Unwerth Black and White Photography
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 Black and White Photography
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 Black and White Photography
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 Black and White Photography
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 Black and White Photography
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 Black and White Photography
Materials
Silver Gelatin
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 Black and White Photography
Materials
Silver Gelatin
Price Upon Request
Bonheur (Happiness), Nice
By Ellen von Unwerth
Located in New York, NY
Signed by the photographer
Category
1990s Ellen von Unwerth Black and White Photography
Materials
Silver Gelatin
Price Upon Request
Dog Walkers, Cannes
By Ellen von Unwerth
Located in New York, NY
Signed by the photographer
Category
1990s Ellen von Unwerth Black and White Photography
Materials
Silver Gelatin
Price Upon Request
Ellen Von Unwerth black and white photography for sale on 1stDibs.
Find a wide variety of authentic Ellen von Unwerth black and white photography available for sale on 1stDibs. 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 black and white photography, so small editions measuring 16 inches across are available. Customers who are interested in this artist might also find the work of Guido Argentini, Joachim Schmeisser, and Ricky Cohete.