Accession Number1989/1.74.8
TitleUntitled
Artist(s)Guy BourdinArtist NationalityFrench (culture or style)Object Creation Date1976Medium & Supportchromogenic print on paperDimensions 13 in x 18 1/16 in (33.02 cm x 45.88 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 DescriptionThe work is a color photograph of three models sitting on a couch. Each model has her right leg crossed under her left leg, facing toward the left side of the frame. They each wear a different style of brassiere and underwear with high-heeled shoes.
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
cast shadows
couches (reclining furniture)
fashion photography
indoor photography
models (people)
modern and contemporary art
seated
sitting
underwear
women (female humans)