Jasper52 spotlights women photographers Feb. 18

NEW YORK – Jasper52 will host a gravure and photolithograph sale on Tuesday, Feb. 18, that boasts some of the most significant women in the history of photography. The famous Child With Toy Hand Grenade by Diane Arbus, groundbreaking photo-journalism by Dorothea Lange and Margaret Bourke-White, and a stunning magnolia blossom photo by Imogen Cunningham, are just a small sample of the treasures in this sale. Bid absentee or live online exclusively through LiveAuctioneers.

Diane Arbus was an American photographer often regarded as one of the most influential and provocative artists of the 20th century. Her most recognizable photos are of marginalized people, such as dwarfs, giants, circus performers, and other parts of the population normally considered ugly. Her Child With Toy Hand Grenade, photographed in 1962 in New York’s Central Park (above), is a photolithograph that is estimated at $200-$300. The startling image, printed in the USA in 1972,  is mounted on conservation board.

Cindy Sherman is an American photographer known for her conceptual photographs. She works in series, typically photographing herself in a range of costumes. To create her photographs, she shoots alone in her studio, assuming multiple roles as author, director, make-up artist, hairstylist, wardrobe mistress and model. She is best known for “Complete Untitled Film Stills,” a series of 69 black-and-white photographs that were meant to subvert the stereotypes of women in media (namely arthouse films and popular B-movies). Her Untitled #74 image is a photolithograph shot in 1980 and printed in Italy in 2012 (est. $125-$225).

Annie Leibovitz is an American portrait photographer to the stars. She draws inspiration from photographer Richard Avedon and his “personal reportage,” developing a close rapport with her subjects. Leibovitz was chief photographer of Rolling Stone for 10 years, and her iconic portraits of figures such as John Lennon, Michael Jackson and more are recognized worldwide. Her portrait of actress Sissy Spacek offered in the Jasper52 is a photolithograph that was printed in Japan in 1989 (est. $125-$200).

Lynn Goldsmith is an American recording artist, a film director, a celebrity portrait photographer, and one of the first women rock ’n’ roll photographers. She has done over 100 album covers. She is also adept in fine art photography with conceptual images. Her photographs are in the collections of the Smithsonian among other museums and her 3D videos created in 1982 are in the collection of MOMA. Her portrait of Debbie Harry, lead singer of the new wave band Blondie, was photographed in New York in 1979. The photolithograph offered in the auction was printed in China in 2007 (est. $125-$200).

Dorothea Lange (1896-1965) was an American documentary photographer and photojournalist, best known for her Depression-era work for the Farm Security Administration. Four of her black and white images from that era are offered in the auction, including Drought Refugees Hoping for Cotton Work, Blythe, Calif. This poignant family photo, shot in 1936, was printed in Hong Kong in 1987 (est. $125-$225).

The 133-lot Jasper52 auction will be held on Tuesday, Feb. 18, starting at 6 p.m. Eastern time.