Irving Penn's Vanity Fair Covers

Italo Calvino, Aug 1983

Philip Roth, Sep 1983

Francine du Plessix Gray (what a name!), Nov 1983

Woody Allen (as Groucho Marx), Dec 1983

Hanna Schygulla, Jan 1984

In 1983, Irving Penn provided six successive Vanity Fair covers. Looking at them, one is immediately struck by their serious tone and intent, compared to what we see now, the magazines looked austere, dignified, important, not the glossy throwaway things we have come to disregard. Times have certainly changed, and in terms of magazines, not for the better, I might add.