Woman in the Mirror

Among the significant projects of the last year of his life, Richard Avedon (1923-2004) completed a book of his photographs of women. Always transcending categorization--he was both a fashion photographer and known as a "poet of portraiture"--Avedon was interested in seeing how elemental facts of modern life and human existence were reflected in his work. And what could be more elemental than women, who have mesmerized artists across the centuries?

Looking at his work in this way, Avedon wa...