About the Work
"Make 'Vogue' into a Louvre", commented Edward Steichen in 1934, at a time when he had already been chief photographer at 'Vogue' and 'Vanity Fair' for eleven years. His presentations continue to influence our ideas of glamour. It was Steichen who staged Hollywood and Broadway stars in the right light, in photos that transformed fashion into art. In this shot for 'Vogue', the model in the billowing gown resembles the Louvre's 'Nike of Samothrace'. After the Second World War, Steichen headed the photographic department at the New York Museum of Modern Art, for which he also curated the legendary exhibition 'The Family of Man'.