Richard Avedon (1923–2004) was a pioneering American photographer renowned for transforming fashion photography and portraiture into expressive, psychologically rich art forms. Born in New York City, Avedon began his career photographing merchant mariners during World War II before studying under Alexey Brodovitch at the New School for Social Research. He rose to prominence at Harper’s Bazaar in the late 1940s, where he broke from static fashion conventions by capturing models in motion and on location, infusing his images with vitality and emotion. His iconic 1955 photograph Dovima with Elephants exemplifies this dynamic approach. Avedon later worked at Vogue for over two decades and, in 1992, became the first staff photographer at The New Yorker, where his stark, large-format portraits of cultural and political figures helped redefine the magazine’s visual identity. His landmark series In the American West (1979–1984) portrayed working-class Americans with unflinching clarity, challenging traditional notions of beauty and heroism. Avedon’s minimalist aesthetic—often featuring subjects against plain white backdrops—sought to reveal the inner lives of his subjects, whether celebrities or everyday individuals. His legacy endures through his influential body of work, which continues to shape contemporary photography and visual culture.