The artist’s eye: the great name in photograpy for the Pirelli Calendar
Sixty years ago, when “Swinging London” was at its height, with the Beatles and Mary Quant, Pirelli UK Ltd’s advertising department came up with a groundbreaking promotional idea that would etch itself into the history of contemporary culture and art: the Pirelli Calendar. An icon of corporate communication, a social phenomenon, and, owing to the limited number of copies, a coveted status symbol and cult object for collectors. “The Cal” has left an indelible mark — and continues to do so — on the cultural landscape. Each year, it draws on the greatest international names: not just photographic luminaries like Richard Avedon, Helmut Newton and Bruce Weber, but also fashion icons such as Karl Lagerfeld and “pop” artists like Allen Jones.
Each artist has been tasked with exploring and interpreting their own personal vision of womanhood, the iconographic heart of the project. Female beauty has evolved in various ways over the years, and the imagery of the Calendar, which acts as a witness and a mirror of its times, has documented these shifts in taste and fashion, and in social norms.
Launched in 1964, “The Cal” found its winning formula in big-name photographers, top-notch graphic quality, exotic natural settings – from the sunny beaches of Mallorca to the crystalline waters of the Bahamas and the evocative landscapes of Jamaica, coupled with a celebration of feminine beauty, initially captured in bold compositions and close-up shots of faces. The early editions aimed to transport viewers into a realm beyond everyday life, evoking timeless dreamworlds.
As the Calendar evolved, it reflected reality and adapted to the passage of time: after the protests of 1968 and the Women’s Liberation movement, the 1970s brought a radical shift. In 1972, Sarah Moon became the first female photographer to take on the task, infusing her work with a highly personal style, with dreamlike atmospheres, impressionistic suffused lighting, and sepia tones creating a soft vintage effect. Her ethereal images offered a romantic exploration of femininity. 1973 brought another upheaval as Allen Jones, a British pop art celebrity, introduced a more explicit sensuality.
In the 1980s and 1990s, the Calendar played with the aesthetic models of the time, with fashion stereotypes and classics of the male imagination, wavering between provocation and hardcore. Graphically, it pushed boundaries with glamorous photography and spectacular visual cues, inspired by the vivid colours of Barry Lategan’s tableaux vivants, Arthur Elgort’s dramatic chiaroscuros of the Olympic Games, and Norman Parkinson’s technical virtuosity. Despite the passing decades and the changes in culture between the present day and the collective fantasies captured in those bygone eras, the Calendar has remained synonymous with continual innovation, the pursuit of excellence, and a close eye on cultural evolution.
The new millennium brought sweeping changes as the image of women broke free from the traditional roles imposed upon them, turning them from objects of desire into subjects with agency. The shift began to surface in 1998, when Bruce Weber introduced male figures, such as Ewan McGregor and Bono, for the first time, as highlighted by the evocative title “Women that Men Live For – Men that Women Live For.” In the 2000 Calendar, Annie Leibovitz demystified the allure of the body with meticulously framed shots of anatomical precision, paving the way for the abandonment of the nude two years later. The 2007 edition definitively shifted the focus towards introspection, delving into the inner essence and psyche of five women who candidly opened themselves up to the lens of the Dutch duo Inez and Vinoodh.
The following decade saw the emergence of the most modern interpretations of beauty, advocating for a new aesthetic. In 2013, Steve McCurry drew connections between the world of women and that of social activism, while the 2016 edition, once again created by Annie Leibovitz, focused on female empowerment. In this case, twelve successful women of all ages, including Serena Williams, Patti Smith, and Yoko Ono, told of their journeys with their achievements and challenges they had faced. In 2017, Peter Lindbergh boldly stated that “The ideal of perfect beauty promoted by society is something that simply can’t be attained,” presenting his Calendar as a protest against stereotypical beauty and the tyranny of youth. Kate Winslet, Julianne Moore, Helen Mirren and others appeared in natural, unguarded moments, captured in black and white: the Calendar shattered the illusion of artificial perfection, revealing the essence of the soul rather than the body. This brings us to the 2023 edition, titled “Love Letters to the Muse,” a heartfelt tribute by Emma Summerton to the muses — the female poets, directors, painters, and actors — who have influenced her personal and professional journey. In a dreamlike setting that owes much to the magic of Realism and Surrealism, it celebrates the timeless beauty that this year has inspired the creation of the “Timeless” Calendar by the Ghanaian photographer Prince Gyasi.
Sixty years ago, when “Swinging London” was at its height, with the Beatles and Mary Quant, Pirelli UK Ltd’s advertising department came up with a groundbreaking promotional idea that would etch itself into the history of contemporary culture and art: the Pirelli Calendar. An icon of corporate communication, a social phenomenon, and, owing to the limited number of copies, a coveted status symbol and cult object for collectors. “The Cal” has left an indelible mark — and continues to do so — on the cultural landscape. Each year, it draws on the greatest international names: not just photographic luminaries like Richard Avedon, Helmut Newton and Bruce Weber, but also fashion icons such as Karl Lagerfeld and “pop” artists like Allen Jones.
Each artist has been tasked with exploring and interpreting their own personal vision of womanhood, the iconographic heart of the project. Female beauty has evolved in various ways over the years, and the imagery of the Calendar, which acts as a witness and a mirror of its times, has documented these shifts in taste and fashion, and in social norms.
Launched in 1964, “The Cal” found its winning formula in big-name photographers, top-notch graphic quality, exotic natural settings – from the sunny beaches of Mallorca to the crystalline waters of the Bahamas and the evocative landscapes of Jamaica, coupled with a celebration of feminine beauty, initially captured in bold compositions and close-up shots of faces. The early editions aimed to transport viewers into a realm beyond everyday life, evoking timeless dreamworlds.
As the Calendar evolved, it reflected reality and adapted to the passage of time: after the protests of 1968 and the Women’s Liberation movement, the 1970s brought a radical shift. In 1972, Sarah Moon became the first female photographer to take on the task, infusing her work with a highly personal style, with dreamlike atmospheres, impressionistic suffused lighting, and sepia tones creating a soft vintage effect. Her ethereal images offered a romantic exploration of femininity. 1973 brought another upheaval as Allen Jones, a British pop art celebrity, introduced a more explicit sensuality.
In the 1980s and 1990s, the Calendar played with the aesthetic models of the time, with fashion stereotypes and classics of the male imagination, wavering between provocation and hardcore. Graphically, it pushed boundaries with glamorous photography and spectacular visual cues, inspired by the vivid colours of Barry Lategan’s tableaux vivants, Arthur Elgort’s dramatic chiaroscuros of the Olympic Games, and Norman Parkinson’s technical virtuosity. Despite the passing decades and the changes in culture between the present day and the collective fantasies captured in those bygone eras, the Calendar has remained synonymous with continual innovation, the pursuit of excellence, and a close eye on cultural evolution.
The new millennium brought sweeping changes as the image of women broke free from the traditional roles imposed upon them, turning them from objects of desire into subjects with agency. The shift began to surface in 1998, when Bruce Weber introduced male figures, such as Ewan McGregor and Bono, for the first time, as highlighted by the evocative title “Women that Men Live For – Men that Women Live For.” In the 2000 Calendar, Annie Leibovitz demystified the allure of the body with meticulously framed shots of anatomical precision, paving the way for the abandonment of the nude two years later. The 2007 edition definitively shifted the focus towards introspection, delving into the inner essence and psyche of five women who candidly opened themselves up to the lens of the Dutch duo Inez and Vinoodh.
The following decade saw the emergence of the most modern interpretations of beauty, advocating for a new aesthetic. In 2013, Steve McCurry drew connections between the world of women and that of social activism, while the 2016 edition, once again created by Annie Leibovitz, focused on female empowerment. In this case, twelve successful women of all ages, including Serena Williams, Patti Smith, and Yoko Ono, told of their journeys with their achievements and challenges they had faced. In 2017, Peter Lindbergh boldly stated that “The ideal of perfect beauty promoted by society is something that simply can’t be attained,” presenting his Calendar as a protest against stereotypical beauty and the tyranny of youth. Kate Winslet, Julianne Moore, Helen Mirren and others appeared in natural, unguarded moments, captured in black and white: the Calendar shattered the illusion of artificial perfection, revealing the essence of the soul rather than the body. This brings us to the 2023 edition, titled “Love Letters to the Muse,” a heartfelt tribute by Emma Summerton to the muses — the female poets, directors, painters, and actors — who have influenced her personal and professional journey. In a dreamlike setting that owes much to the magic of Realism and Surrealism, it celebrates the timeless beauty that this year has inspired the creation of the “Timeless” Calendar by the Ghanaian photographer Prince Gyasi.