lithograph
sheet: 85 1/2 x 29 1/4 inches
Estimate: $5,000 - $7,000
Price Realized:
$23,680
Includes buyer's premium
unframed
The Estate of Ilon Specht
overall in good condition, with some light gentle toning throughout, some minor creasing to edges, particularly to lower right corner, along with some very minor tears along the edges, mounted to linen back
Ilon Specht was a pioneering advertising copywriter and creative director who first carved a place for herself in the heady "Mad Men" era of New York advertising. While still in her twenties, she created the iconic "Because I'm Worth It" campaign for L'Oreal Paris. A subject of author Malcom Gladwell and Oscar-winning documentarian Ben Proudfoot, her campaign would change beauty advertising forever, catalyzing a pivot from an emphasis on pleasing men to promoting women's self-confidence and empowerment. Ilon also did groundbreaking work for the Peace Corps, Oxy 5, Underalls, and Life cereal. She was an avid collector, especially of Deco and American country, with an eye that transcended eras and fads. Unlikely collections adorned all corners of her dazzling apartment in the Dakota. After retiring from advertising, she moved to California and devoted herself full-time to making and dealing in beautiful things. As a mother, a stepmother, a friend, and a boss, Ilon Specht was caring, generous, courageous and brilliant. She changed many lives.
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
61
62
63
64
65
66
68
69
70
71
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
80
81
82
83
84
85
86
87
88
89
90
91
92
93
94
95
96
97
98
99
100
101
102
103
104
105
106
107
108
109
110
111
112
113
114
115
116
117
118
119
120
121
122
123
124
125
126
127
128
129
130
131
132
133
134
135
136
137
138
139
140
141
142
143
144
145
146
147
148
149
150
151
152
153
154
155
156
157
158
159
160
161
162
163
164
165
166
167
168
169
170
171
172
173
174
175
176
177
178
179
180
181
182
