Paul Outerbridge, Jr.

platinum or platinum-palladium print, 1922 (Singular Aesthetic, pl. 11, cropped, and pl. 158; Taschen, p. 135)

This beautiful warm-toned platinum print is on heavy cream-colored paper. The photograph has recently undergone conservation primarily to address a very small accretion in the top center area of the sitter's head veil. This conservation was successful, and evidence of the prior accretion can only be seen upon the closest examination. The margins were also surface-cleaned. The print's overall appearance is quite fine. A treatment report is available upon request. The print has rich, warm tones and a velvety matte surface. Outerbridge made effective use of the platinum process's exceedingly long gray scale to create a print whose many tones merge gradually, creating a subtle, but effective, rendering of his subject.
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 nude study offered here is the full frame of an Outerbridge image sometimes seen as a cropped study of the head alone.  In 1922, the year this photograph was taken, Outerbridge was enrolled in the Clarence White School of Photography, and the sitter  may have been a model engaged by the School or the students.  The drape and the pose suggest an art school setting.  The Pictorial approach to the subject is typical of Outerbridge's early style, influenced by the aesthetic of the Clarence White School.

A print of the cropped head study is in the collection of the Library of Congress, a gift of the photographer's widow Lois in 1959.