Allan Grant: Audrey Hepburn and Grace Kelly backstage at the 28th Annual Academy Awards, Hollywood, California, 1956

Allan  Grant (American, 1909-2008), Audrey Hepburn and Grace Kelly backstage at the 28th Annual Academy Awards, Hollywood, California, 1956

Gelatin silver print, 20 x 16 inches, 50.8 x 40.64 cm. Signed, titled & dated in pencil on verso. Printed later. Estimate: from $7,000 to $8,000

Notes: A fine large print of an exceptional dual portrait in profile of two of Hollywood's loveliest stars by the late, great Life photographer Allan Grant.

Allan Grant (1919-2008) was a Life magazine photographer. He was the last photographer to photographer Marilyn Monroe before she died on August 5, 1962, and he was the first photographer to photograph Marina Oswald after the assassination of John F. Kennedy in 1963.

Neither Grace Kelly nor Audrey Hepburn were nominees at the 28th Academy Awards. That year, Anna Magnani won the best actress award for her role in The Rose Tattoo, and Jo Van Fleet won the award for best actress in a supporting role for her performance in East of Eden. Grace Kelly had won the best actress Oscar the previous year for her role in The Country Girl, and the year before that (1954) Audrey Hepburn had won the Oscar for best actress in Roman Holiday.

Artnet. Thursday, November 19, 2009, 1:14 PM EST www.artnet.com/AUCTIONS