“For me, a portrait is something from which you feel the person, their inner quality, what it is that makes them who they are.” - Herb Ritts, 1999.

In this intimate portrait of Sir Elton John, shot in Los Angeles in 1989, at the peak of Ritt’s career, the presence and charisma of the music icon and national treasure directly transpire from the silver gelatin.

Photographer and sitter were united by a passion for fashion, and activism for the HIV cause, which sadly took Ritts prematurely from this world in 2002.

Alongside Richard Avedon, Robert Mapplethorpe, and Irving Penn, Herb Ritts remains one of the most acclaimed international fashion photographers of the ’80s and ’90s, thanks to his innovative approach to the medium, which privileged bold contrasts and outdoor locations, and uniqueness of vision. 

6/12/2020 - Lot 170 - Herb Ritts (American Fashion Photographer) 'Elton John, Los Angeles, 1989'. gelatin silver print, signed, titled, dated and numbered 18/25 in pencil verso, copyright blind stamp in the margin, signed by E. John in ink on recto, provenance: Phillips NY Oct 2013, 44cm x 38cm, framed and glazed.

Estimate £2500 - £3500

- Daniela Guardiani

Fine Interiors 6th December