Untitled

Accession Number
1989/1.74.15

Title
Untitled

Artist(s)
Guy Bourdin

Artist Nationality
French (culture or style)

Object Creation Date
1976

Medium & Support
chromogenic print on paper

Dimensions
13 in x 18 1/16 in (33.02 cm x 45.88 cm)

Credit Line
Anonymous Gift: New York

Subject matter
​This is a chromogenic reproduction of a plate from Sighs and Whispers. Bourdin was commissioned by Arthur Cohen, the vice president of Bloomingdale’s, to produce this photographic series for the store’s September 1976 lingerie catalog. The catalog quickly became a collector's item, due to the scarcity of Bourdin's work. He rarely chose to reproduce his photographs in contexts other than magazines and catalogs. This series exemplifies Bourdin's atypical and boundary-pushing approach to fashion photography. The series references but does not create narrative through the deployment of tableau and B-movie aesthetics. Bourdin employed formal devices such as cropped interior spaces, dramatic lighting, cast shadows, and often-overt references to sexuality, which were strategies that he utilized throughout his career.​ When this catalog was released in America, it was met with mixed reviews and controversy, much like his notorious work for Charles Jourdan Shoes in France in preceding decades.

Physical Description
The work is a color photograph of three models in red lingerie. Two models are visible only in the reflection of a large, ornately-framed wall mirror. A third model stands to the right, surrounded by floral wallpaper. A vase of red calla lillies sits on a table in front of the mirror. A single lily is placed on the table and can be seen in the mirror's reflection.

Primary Object Classification
Photograph

Collection Area
Photography

Rights
If you are interested in using an image for a publication, please visit http://umma.umich.edu/request-image for more information and to fill out the online Image Rights and Reproductions Request Form.

Keywords
brassieres
cast shadows
fashion photography
fashions
groups
indoor photography
mirror
mirrors
models (people)
modern and contemporary art
reflections
reflections (perceived properties)
standing
underwear
walking
wallpapers
women (female humans)

5 Related Resources

Film Noir, Visuality and Themes
(Part of 8 Learning Collections)
Horror
(Part of 9 Learning Collections)
Looking Into the Mirror
(Part of 8 Learning Collections)
Advertising
(Part of 5 Learning Collections)

& Author Notes

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