On Tuesday 21 January 2025, at 14:00, Cambi Auction House's live auction dedicated to Photography will take place. With 119 selected lots, the catalogue traces the entire history of photography, up to the most innovative contemporary research, offering a complete narrative of the medium.

Prior to the auction, the works will be on display from Thursday 16 January to Saturday 18 January, from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., and on Monday 20 January from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Among the highlights, three masterpieces offer an important reflection on female identity and the way in which the figure of the woman has been represented in the social and cultural context.

The first work is a self-portrait by Cindy Sherman, ‘Untitled #555’, created between 2010 and 2012. In this photograph, the artist portrays herself as a clown, an identity that, as is customary in Sherman's work, represents a reflection on the assumption of roles and masks. The composition, characterised by intense, saturated colours, accentuates the ambiguity and drama inherent in the figure of the clown, making the image powerful and disturbing. This work is considered a rare and significant example of the artist's production, especially in the Italian market.

The second lot is a self-portrait by Francesca Woodman, a pioneering artist in the exploration of personal identity through the medium of photography. The work, entitled ‘Untitled, Rome’ and created between 1977 and 1978, is an important testimony to Woodman's ability to narrate her own, often complex, experience through a unique and deeply emotional visual poetics.

The third work is a creation by Iranian artist Shirin Neshat, entitled ‘Speechless’ and dated 1996. This work addresses fundamental issues related to female identity in Iranian culture, a central theme in the artist's production. In her works, Neshat often depicts women and men in opposition, exploring the dynamics of power and silence. In ‘Speechless’, the face of the woman portrayed is covered in Arabic script, evoking what is concealed by the fundamentalist culture of her country.

A special section of the catalogue is reserved for the figure of Marilyn Monroe, a timeless icon of cinema and popular culture. This section brings together shots that range from the most intimate and private portraits, revealing the human and vulnerable side of the actress, to images that capture her magnetic appeal on set and in the roles that made her famous throughout the world.

The auction also includes a significant selection of Italian photographers, including Armando Testa, Mario Giacomelli and Tazio Secchiaroli, ranging from reportage to advertising and art portraiture. The presence of works by Testa, with his innovative approach to the advertising image, and Giacomelli, a master in capturing the poetic essence of landscape and everyday life, testify to the eclecticism of Italian photography. Secchiaroli, known for his work as a set photographer and for his famous portraits, represents another prominent figure in this panorama. Alongside these works, the auction offers a nucleus of shots dedicated to the world of fashion, which testify to the evolution of aesthetic taste and image over the decades.