Horst P. Horst

signed in pencil on the reverse, 1939, printed later (Masterpieces, p. 309)

This contact print, on double-weight paper with a slight surface sheen, is in generally excellent condition. 'C.10560K-4' is numbered in the negative. Visible in raking light are the following: two very small soft surface indentations in the upper left and lower right corners that do not break the emulsion; and tiny deposits of original retouching. There is minor edge chipping, and the corners are bumped. The following annotations are written in an unidentified hand in pencil on the reverse: 'BROMO,' '(MME. BERNON),' and 'From original glass plate Neg.?' A stray light red-colored deposit is also on the reverse.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

The photograph offered here is perhaps the most famous of Horst P. Horst's editorial fashion studies.  First published in the 15 September 1939 issue of Vogue, the copy read 'Paris puts you back in laced corsets – and here they are.  Detolle made the extreme, back-lacing corset . . . to bind you in for the Velasquez silhouette.  This corset is specifically for evening.'  The shape of the corset, as pictured here, is a product of expert retouching in order to exaggerate the silhouette of the waist and the constraint of a corset.

It is the present version of this classic image that was published in Vogue in 1939.  Also seen are later prints from the unretouched negative, in which the corset does not fit the model's torso snuggly.