Born in Plainfield, New Jersey, Irving Penn studied at the Philadelphia Museum School of Industrial Art under Alexey Brodovitch. He began his career as a graphic designer before joining the staff of Vogue in 1943, where he would spend several decades defining the aesthetic of mid-century fashion and portraiture.

Penn is celebrated for his stark, clean studio style, often utilizing a simple backdrop to focus attention on the subject. His work spans diverse subjects, from high-fashion models and cultural icons to ethnographic studies and found-object still lifes. He was particularly noted for his technical precision, including his innovative use of platinum-palladium printing to achieve a wide tonal range.

His legacy remains central to the history of 20th-century photography, with his archives held by major institutions worldwide. His long-term collaborations with designers such as Issey Miyake and his extensive portraiture of artists and writers continue to be studied for their formal rigor and psychological depth.