Lot 228
  • 228

Lewis Morley

Estimate
7,000 - 10,000 GBP
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Description

  • Lewis Morley
  • Christine Keeler, 1963
  • silver print, ed 3/3
Silver print on yellow argenta paper, printed 1996. With the photographer's blind stamp at lower right. Signed, titled, dated, numbered 3/3 and annotated yellow argenta in black felt tip pen on the reverse.

Literature

Lewis Morley (exh. cat.), Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney, 2006, illustrated p.49.

Condition

Mounted. This print is in excellent condition. With very light occasional silvering along the edges.
"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. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

Catalogue Note

A combination of pin-up and icon Lewis Morley’s photograph of Christine Keeler has become one of the defining images of the 1960s combining coolness and classicism.
The composition is made of a series of triangles, such as the lines described by the shoulders and elbows, the back of the chair and the space between the knees, and shows the model sitting back to front on a copy of an Arne Jacobsen chair in a provocative yet in no way explicit pose. The model and showgirl had a brief liaison with the Secretary of State for War in Harold Macmillan’s government John Profumo and the photograph was taken in 1963 to promote a film on the Profumo Affair that was never made.