David Bailey’s portrait ‘Catherine Deneuve, Flamingo’ is one of the highlights of Christie’s Photographies auction this month

David Bailey’s portrait ‘Catherine Deneuve, Flamingo’ is one of the highlights of Christie’s Photographies auction this month. The famous 1967 photograph was taken for British Vogue magazine and will be one of the notable sales at the upcoming auction, hosted to correspond with Paris Photo.

The glamorous image features Ms Deneuve, doyenne of French cinema and one of the finest actresses of her generation, channelling the high of Sixties style. What lies beneath is the complex love affair between herself and Bailey, who were married between 1965 and 1972. Commenting on their relationship in an interview with The Guardian in 2019 he recalled, “…with Deneuve, it wasn’t sad. We just drifted apart. She was in Paris, I was in London. She phoned me once and said, ‘Oh, Bailey, it’s great.’ ‘What’s great?’ ‘We got divorced today.’ I said, ‘Is that great?’ She said, ‘Yes, it means now we can be lovers.'”

Considered one of the pioneers of contemporary photography, David Bailey is credited with photographing some of the most compelling images of the last five decades. His first official foray into the world of fashion photography was his appointment to British Vogue in 1960. He remained associated with the magazine first on staff, then as a contributor for over fifteen years. His use of stark, black and white backgrounds, closely cropped shots and sharp lighting led to a new era of fashion photography. This new style epitomised the changing London cultural scene and Bailey’s flamboyant personality was at the epicentre.

“When you’re dyslexic it pushes you into doing things like painting and photography. Or birdwatching. At one point I wanted to be an ornithologist.” David Bailey

Catherine Deneuve, Flamingo is an iconic piece by an iconic photographer, known for shooting key cultural figures across music, art, fashion, and culture with a simple yet dramatic style. Bailey has produced unforgettable images that have defined decades of British style – Jean Shrimpton, Michael Caine and the Krays in the 60s; Andy Warhol, Mick Jagger and Jack Nicholson in the 70s; through to Kate Moss and even HM Queen Elizabeth II. His portraits unfailingly capture something ineffable and rarely seen in their subject, whilst his unique style irreversibly changed the history of fashion photography.