The Naked and the Veiled: The Photographic Nudes of Erwin Blumenfeld

About this book

One of the greatest fashion photographers of all time Erwin Blumenfeld is also recognized as one of the most talented and profoundly erotic portrayers of the nude. He aimed to persuade his audience of the magical beauty of the female form and to show the world that the nudes of the great master painters--from Botticelli to Ingres--could be challenged by the magical potential of the darkroom. Blumenfeld was an inspired innovator who experimented with solarizations reticulations negative-positive combinations and chemical manipulations to enhance the mystery of his images. The Naked and the Veiled features in both color and duotone many photographs never before published as well as Blumenfelds famous shots such as Nude under Wet Silk. The text by Yorick Blumenfeld the photographers son provides unusual insights into the work and brings a greater understanding of these highly original and complex images. This book shows the full range of Blumenfelds astounding inventiveness from the classic to the surreal to the abstract from 1930s Amsterdam to 1960s New York. It will interest not only those who are already familiar with Blumenfelds fashion photographs but anyone interested in the history of the nude in photography who wishes to see the subject treated by one of the twentieth centurys undisputed masters.