Anthony Vaccarello is a Madonna stan. Having previously used the House of Saint Laurent to honor the 30th anniversary of the boundary-pushing 1992 photography book SEX — which saw Madonna captured by Steven Meisel‘s lens for a series of controversial images — the designer now sees continued support from the auction house Christie’s in “Madonna x Meisel – The SEX Photographs.”
The auction presents more than 40 one-off editions of the Meisel photographs, notably one titled Madonna, New York, 1992, archival pigment print, depicting the musician with her head in her hands while sitting in front of a bending male model. It is estimated to sell for $150,000-$250,000 USD, however, it wouldn’t be too forward to expect the editions to fetch even more.
Speaking on the project, Darius Himes, Christie’s Deputy Chairman, International Head of Photographs, said:
“The much-deserved hype and white-hot energy given off by Madonna in the early 1990s was conveyed and immortalized through Steven Meisel’s photographs. He knew how to capture the allure and sexuality of pop’s reigning queen in a way that was unrivaled. In the intervening 30 years since her infamous SEX book was released — shot exclusively in collaboration with Meisel — what has become clear is how truly iconic those photographs remain. They sit at a moment in art history of the late 20th century that both summarizes a moment, playful and prescient, and hints at the future of public stardom driven by image-conscious figures. These images are nothing short of brilliant.”
Ahead of the auction, which commences on October 6 at 2 p.m. EDT via Christie’s, the “Madonna x Meisel – The SEX Photographs” sale will be touring the world. You’ll find the photographs at Christie’s London from May 23-June 2, at Christie’s Paris from June 27-July 6, and finally at Christie’s New York from September 30-October 6, which is where the sale will also take place live.
Elsewhere, a petition against the use of AI in the art world has been opened.
