Ruth Orkin - Photographs New York Tuesday, April 4, 2023 | Phillips

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  • This print of Ruth Orkin’s renowned photograph, American Girl in Italy, Florence, Italy, was previously displayed in the Expressions of Life exhibition at Fotografiska, New York from September through December 2021. Seemingly an observational street-documentary image, Orkin wanted to recreate what had happened to her being a woman alone in Italy.  She met Ninalee Craig in her hotel and asked her to go around Florence with her to do so. This scene basically presented itself, as Ninalee walked through the group of men, and Ruth was in middle of the street at Piazza Del Repubblica, and two frames of this image were shot.

    • Provenance

      Directly from the Ruth Orkin Photo Archive, New York

    • Exhibited

      Ruth Orkin: Expressions of Life, Fotografiska, New York, 3 September - 5 December 2022

    • Literature

      Hatja Cantz, Ruth Orkin, A Photo Spirit, back cover, pp. 134-135
      Howard Greenberg Gallery/Ruth Orkin Photo Archive, Ruth Orkin: American Girl in Italy – The Making of a Classic, cover, pl. 10
      Howard Greenberg Gallery/Ruth Orkin Archive, Ruth Orkin: Above and Beyond, p. 9

158

American Girl in Italy, Florence, Italy

1951
Mural-sized gelatin silver print, printed prior to 1985.
32 x 47 1/2 in. (81.3 x 120.7 cm)
Overall 46 x 62 in. (116.8 x 157.5 cm)

Accompanied by a letter of authentication from the Ruth Orkin Photo Archive. This work is number 23 from an edition of 25.

Full Cataloguing

Estimate
$15,000 - 25,000 

Sold for $15,240

Contact Specialist

Sarah Krueger
Head of Department, Photographs
skrueger@phillips.com


Vanessa Hallett
Worldwide Head of Photographs and Chairwoman, Americas
vhallett@phillips.com

Photographs

New York Auction 4 April 2023