Francesco Scavullo

{{Short description|American fashion photographer}}

{{Redirect|Sean Byrnes|other people|Sean Byrne (disambiguation){{!}}Sean Byrne|and|Sean Burns (disambiguation){{!}}Sean Burns}}

{{Infobox artist

| name = Francesco Scavullo

| image = Francesco scavullo.jpg

| caption = Scavullo and his 1984 portrait of Sting

| birth_date = {{birth date|1921|1|16|mf=y}}

| birth_place = Staten Island, New York City, U.S.

| death_date = {{death date and age|2004|1|6|1921|1|16|mf=y}}

| death_place = New York City, U.S.

| field = Fashion photography

}}

Francesco Scavullo (January 16, 1921 – January 6, 2004) was an American fashion photographer best known for his work on the covers of Cosmopolitan for over three decades, and his celebrity portraits.

Some of Scavullo's more controversial work included a Cosmospolitan centerfold of a nude Burt Reynolds and photographs of a young Brooke Shields that some{{who|date=January 2021}} considered overly sexual.{{cite web | title=Burt Reynolds nude: 10 facts about the Cosmo centrefold | website=BBC News | date=2012-04-30 | url=https://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-17896980 | access-date=2025-02-12}}

Biography

Scavullo was born January 16, 1921, on Staten Island, New York City. He also lived in Midtown Manhattan at E 52nd Street.https://www.mgross.com/books/focus/bonus-chapters/francesco-scavullo/ He used his father's camera to photograph his sisters, who would model for him. He began working{{when|date=January 2021}} for a studio that produced fashion catalogs and soon moved to Vogue. Scavullo spent three years as Horst P. Horst's assistant, studying Horst's techniques.{{cite news |url=http://archive.boston.com/news/globe/obituaries/articles/2004/01/07/francesco_scavullo_82_defined_cosmo_girl/ |title=Francesco Scavullo, 82; defined 'Cosmo Girl' |first=Madison J. |last=Gray |date=2004-01-07 |agency=Associated Press |access-date=2019-06-10}} He created a cover for Seventeen in 1948 that won him a contract with the magazine. Scavullo soon opened his own studio in Manhattan,{{cite news |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/obituaries/francesco-scavullo-37804.html |title=Francesco Scavullo |first=Val |last=Williams |date=2004-01-13 |newspaper=The Independent |access-date=2019-06-10}} and was married to model Carol McCallson from 1952 to 1955.

File:GoodHousekeepingJuly1967.JPG) by Scavullo]]

Scavullo's 1969 photograph of singer Janis Joplin with a cigarette in her hand was exhibited at the Amon Carter Museum in Fort Worth, Texas. The museum poster refers to Joplin, who died in 1970, as having a "free-spirited fervor of the counterculture revolution."Exhibit at Amon Carter Museum in Fort Worth, Texas

Scavullo befriended a young teenager from Philadelphia, future supermodel Gia Carangi, whose career he was largely responsible for launching.{{citation needed|date=May 2017}} When Carangi's heroin addiction made it impossible for her to find work later, Scavullo continued to employ and support her until her eventual death from complications of AIDS. Scavullo himself was diagnosed as manic-depressive in 1981.

Scavullo created shots for various movie posters, album covers and Broadway shows, including one for A Star is Born (featuring Barbra Streisand and Kris Kristofferson), Judy Collins' Hard Times for Lovers, a portrait of Julie Andrews for Blake Edwards' Victor Victoria, the cover and poster photos of KISS' 1979 album Dynasty, photos of Donna Summer for her Once Upon A Time and Live and More double albums and later Summer: The Donna Summer Musical. In 1981, Scavullo was commissioned by Mikhail Baryshnikov to photograph the dancers of the American Ballet Theatre, which formed the basis of an exhibition that was later shown in a nationwide tour.{{cite web |url=http://www.glbtqarchive.com/arts/scavullo_f_A.pdf |title=Scavullo, Francesco |first=Linda |last=Rapp |publisher=glbtq.com |date=2004 |access-date=2019-06-10}} In addition, he photographed the underground Warhol super star Tally Brown for his book Francesco Scavullo 1948-1984.

Scavullo photographed Duran Duran in the 1980s, with his work featured on various releases including the cover of "The Wild Boys" single. He appeared in the band's tour documentary Sing Blue Silver.{{citation needed|date=July 2019}}

Scavullo's work has been used on the covers of Seventeen, Cosmopolitan, Harper's Bazaar, Interview, Newsweek and Rolling Stone. He published several books, from Scavullo on Beauty (1976) to Scavullo Nudes (2000).{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2004/01/07/arts/francesco-scavullo-fashion-photographer-dies-at-82.html |title= Francesco Scavullo, Fashion Photographer, Dies at 82 |last=Nemy |first=Enid |date=2004-01-07 |newspaper=The New York Times |access-date=2019-06-10}}

Scavullo died on January 6, 2004 (ten days before his 83rd birthday) of heart failure at the age of 82 while on his way to a New York photo shoot with a then up-and-coming CNN news anchor, Anderson Cooper.{{cite news|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=VGUEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA63 |title=A beautiful eye: remembering superstar photographer Francesco Scavullo, who helped to define an era |last=Vary |first=Adam B. |date=2004-02-17 |magazine=The Advocate |access-date=2019-06-10}} Scavullo was survived by his partner in life and art, Sean Byrnes.

Publications

  • Scavullo on Beauty. Edited by Sean Byrnes. New York: Random House, 1976. {{ISBN|9780394407289}}
  • Scavullo on Men. With Sean Byrnes and Bob Colacello. New York: Random House, 1977. {{ISBN|9780394419343}}
  • Scavullo Women. With Sean Byrnes. New York: Harper and Row, 1982. {{ISBN|9780060148386}}
  • Scavullo: Francesco Scavullo Photographs 1948–1984. Edited by Sean Byrnes. New York: Harper and Row, 1984. {{ISBN|9780060152307}}
  • Scavullo: Photographs 50 Years. Introduction by Enid Nemy. New York: Harry N. Abrams, 1997. {{ISBN|9780810941809}}
  • Scavullo Nudes. Introduction by David Leddick. Edited by Ruth A. Peltason and Judith Hudson. New York: Harry N. Abrams, 2000. {{ISBN|9780810941953}}
  • Scavullo: Nudes. München: Knesebeck, 2000. {{ISBN|9783896600691}}
  • Scavullo: Les Nus. Paris: La Martinière, 2000. {{ISBN|9782732426181}}

References

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