It’s a rare talent who can capture as much visual appeal in frozen vegetables as in fashion models. But those two subjects proved equally compelling for Irving Penn (1917–2009), the photographer best known for his striking midcentury shots for Vogue. On October 23, “Irving Penn: Beyond Beauty,” the first full retrospective of his work in nearly two decades, goes on view at the Smithsonian American Art Museum in Washington, D.C. Black-and-white or color, snapped in the studio or at some far-flung locale, the 146 images presented reveal a man ever on the lookout for the sensual, surprising, and sublime. Through March 20, 2016; americanart.si.edu
Three more shows to see . . .
● A visionary furnituremaker gets his due in “Wendell Castle Remastered,” at New York’s Museum of Arts and Design (Oct. 20, 2015–Feb. 28, 2016; madmuseum.org).
● Alberto Giacometti’s distinctive takes on the human form star in “Giacometti: Pure Presence,” at London’s National Portrait Gallery (Oct. 15, 2015–Jan. 10, 2016; npg.org.uk).
● From fashion to craft to graphic design, “Korea Now!,” at the Musée des Arts Décoratifs in Paris, offers a rich picture of the cutting-edge creations currently coming out of the Asian country (Sept. 19, 2015–Jan. 3, 2016; lesartsdecoratifs.fr).
