Organised by The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York and presented exclusively in Spain at the MOP Foundation space in A Coruña, Galicia, the exhibition presents a rich tapestry of Penn’s photography, bringing together some 175 works — including Penn’s portraits of celebrities, cultural luminaries, and labourers with the tools of their trades; abstract nudes and early documentary street scenes; compositions of flowers, signage, and street debris; fashion studies and meticulous still lives.

Irving Penn: Centennial is the fourth in a series of world class exhibitions presented by the MOP Foundation whose President, Marta Ortega Pérez, says ‘Irving Penn’s image making is exemplary. In Penn’s hands the everyday becomes extraordinary, revealing the profound beauty in simplicity. His work does more than capture moments; it captures the essence of his subjects and invites us to see the world anew. His enduring legacy lies in the ability of his photographs to excite our imagination every time we see them. It is truly an honour to be able to present this wonderful exhibition in A Coruña as we continue our mission to showcase the very best of fashion photography. Irving Penn: Centennial is a wonderful odyssey through the lens of one of photography’s greatest practitioners; a celebration of artistry, printmaking, and vision; of a photographer whose work remains as relevant and powerful today as it was decades ago.’

The exhibition explores Penn’s profound interest in the ephemerality and complexity of the human condition, evidenced not only in his portraits, but also in the masterful still lifes that bookend his career. Approaching photography as a fine art long before it was widely recognized as such, Penn paired nuanced composition with an uncanny talent for observing human expression, attitude, and demeanour. As the preeminent photographer at Vogue, Penn was uniquely placed to create a record of 20th-century cultural history. The exhibition presents Penn’s photographs of such leading lights of the screen as Marlene Dietrich and Audrey Hepburn, renowned designers Gianni Versace, Issey Miyake and Yves Saint Laurent, and important writers and artists such as Truman Capote, Joan Didion, Salvador Dali, Zaha Hadid and Richard Avedon. But Penn’s egalitarian spirit and heightened photographic sensitivity made his portraits of everyday people — tradespeople, street vendors, and residents of Cuzco, Peru — equally moving and powerful.

Opening to the public at the MOP Foundation on 23 November 2024 and running through until 1 May 2025 Irving Penn: Centennial is the most comprehensive retrospective of the renowned photographer to date, revealing his extraordinary artistic versatility and range.