Irving Penn: L’Essence du portrait at Thaddaeus Ropac, Paris — 7 Nov 2026–30 Jan 2027

Thaddaeus Ropac’s Marais gallery presents Irving Penn: L’Essence du portrait (The Essence of the Portrait), an exhibition devoted to the portraiture of the American photographer Irving Penn (1917–2009). The selection runs from an early portrait of Marcel Duchamp (1948) to a late photograph of the painter Elizabeth Peyton and includes a 1950 Vogue cover and portraits of artists, musicians and designers such as Pablo Picasso, Miles Davis, John Cage, Willem de Kooning, Jessye Norman and Yves Saint Laurent. The show coincides with two other Penn exhibitions in Paris, at the Maison Européenne de la Photographie and the Bourse de Commerce – Pinault Collection.

Exhibition	Irving Penn | L’Essence du portrait
Artist(s)	Irving Penn (1917–2009)
Gallery	Thaddaeus Ropac, Paris Marais
Exhibition type	Solo exhibition — portrait photography
Dates	7 November 2026 – 30 January 2027. Opening reception: not published — check with the gallery
Address	7 rue Debelleyme, 75003 Paris, France
Opening hours	Tuesday–Saturday 10am–7pm
Phone	+33 1 42 72 99 00
Email	[email protected]
Gallery website	ropac.net
Official exhibition page	Irving Penn | L’Essence du portrait, Thaddaeus Ropac
Artist page	Irving Penn Foundation at Thaddaeus Ropac; irvingpenn.org
Social media	Gallery: Instagram @thaddaeusropac, X @ThaddaeusRopac, Facebook, YouTube, Artsy. Artist: Instagram @the.irving.penn.foundation, Artsy.

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Read the Art Fair analysis

Our in-depth article on this exhibition looks at the photographer, his studio method and why the show matters. For more openings in Istanbul, Ankara, London, Paris, Spain, Dubai and the United States, see Upcoming Art Exhibitions in Leading Galleries.

Cover image: Irving Penn, portrait photograph, exhibition image. © The Irving Penn Foundation. Courtesy Thaddaeus Ropac. Details are taken from the gallery’s official exhibition, artist and contact pages.