What Becomes a Legend Most: A Biography of Richard Avedon

“Wise and ebullient.” – Dwight Garner, The New York Times

The first definitive biography of Richard Avedon, a monumental photographer of the twentieth century, from award-winning photography critic Philip Gefter.

In his acclaimed portraits, Richard Avedon captured the iconic figures of the twentieth century in his starkly bold, intimately minimal, and forensic visual style. His work for Harper's Bazaar and Vogue transformed the ideals of women's fashion, femininity, and culture to become the defining look of an era. Despite his ambition to gain respect in the art world, he was often dismissed as a "celebrity photographer."

What Becomes a Legend Most is the first definitive biography of this luminary—an intensely driven man who endured personal and professional prejudice, struggled with deep insecurities, and fought lifelong to be recognized as an artist. Gefter builds on archival research and interviews to chronicle his story, beginning with Avedon’s coming-of-age in New York between the world wars, and his battles to be taken seriously in a medium that struggled for respect.

Gefter reveals how the 1950s and 1960s shaped Avedon’s work and life. He counted influential friends such as Leonard Bernstein, Truman Capote, James Baldwin, Harold Brodkey, Renata Adler, Sidney Lumet, and Mike Nichols, who influenced American culture. His fashion work gained recognition at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in the late 1970s.

Balancing glamour with artistic gravitas, plus sixteen pages of photographs, What Becomes a Legend Most offers an intimate view into Avedon’s world. Dramatic, visionary, and remarkable, it pays tribute to his role in photography and fashion history—and his legacy as a consequential artist.