Accession Number1989/1.74.4
TitleUntitled
Artist(s)Guy BourdinArtist NationalityFrench (culture or style)Object Creation Date1976Medium & Supportchromogenic print on paperDimensions 13 in x 18 in (33.02 cm x 45.72 cm)
Credit LineAnonymous Gift: New YorkSubject matterThis 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 DescriptionThis work is a color photograph of three models in brassieres and underwear. In the foreground, two models recline with their arms above their heads, lying on a bed with a green bed spread. Another model stands to the far right, her head cropped out of the frame. Rippled, reflected light is cast on the bodies of the models, while the majority of the image is comprised of dark tones.
Primary Object ClassificationPhotographCollection AreaPhotographyRightsIf 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
fashion photography
fashions
groups
indoor photography
models (people)
modern and contemporary art
reclining
reflections
standing
underwear
women (female humans)