The '20s and '30s are remembered by most as the years of the First World War and the Great Depression: years of suffering, deprivation, and death. In the midst of the hardships, however, certain so-called "frivolous" institutions continued to operate. Indeed, fashion magazines such as Vogue and Vanity Fair published regularly during the two decades of rations and stinginess. While fashion publications found their content colored by world events, they still aimed for the glamour, style, and beauty that was absent from daily life.
The publications' success in perpetuating ideals of elegance and grace is reflected by the current photography exhibit at the Museum of Fine Arts (MFA), The Look: Images of Glamour and Style. The exhibit comprises a collection of the work of George Hoyningen-Huene and Horst P. Horst, as well as a selection of works by their contemporaries and followers. The art of these two close friends was influential in shaping the prevailing visions of beauty, glamour, and fashion during much of the 20th century. Huene - a native of Russia who lived in Paris the majority of his adult life - captured the cosmopolitan world of fashion and celebrity during the '30s through his photography. Friends with an eclectic mix of the rich and famous, Huene's celebrity portraits were published in both Harper's Bazaar and Vogue. The published images of such notable personalities as Coco Chanel, Salvador Dali, Jean Renoir, and Andre Derain would have been popular regardless of style. However Huene's photographic artistry adds a dimension of classic elegance and luxury to the portraits, still obvious to today's viewer.
Indeed, despite the often simplistic composition and clean geometry of his prints, it is apparent that Huene was heavily influenced by ancient Greek sculpture and architecture; several of the images involve casts of classical sculpture or reproductions of old-master paintings, while evening dresses were arranged to echo the graceful draperies of Greek sculpture. Such careful attention to detail contributed to Huene's use of the fashion photograph as an artistic statement.
The images created by both Huene and his friend Horst were labors of love. Each shot involved careful adjustment of both pose and lighting, as demonstrated in one photograph of a robed woman who appears to be running mid-air, suspended against a black background. Meticulous in his efforts to re-create the tragic glamour of a Grecian woman, Huene spent hours posing the model's dress so it would fall so as to give the appearance of motion. Indeed, without the aid of light meters, current rapid shutter speed, or new technological gizmos, the photographers still managed to produce flawless, crisp images of elegance and style.
While the two photographers both created beautiful images of high quality with a similar mood, as Huene's protege, Horst - a German architect by training - had his own distinctive style. Horst is known for his theatrical use of lighting and his respect for both classic art and Surrealism. He not only studied both in the studio of LeCorbusier and in the portrait gallery of the Louvre, but was also a great admirer of Dali. Indeed, included in The Look are several of his compositions involving unexpected objects, as in "Barefooted Beauty." Further, the many images of Horst incorporate an emotional atmosphere not present in the compositions of Huene.
Where Huene encouraged the use of socialites as models, Horst preferred professional models. He developed partnerships with several, as reflected in the intimacy of several images. In one such image, titled "The Mainboucher Corset," Horst captured the poignant vulnerability of a woman undressing. Taken just before leaving Europe to escape World War II, Horst's photograph of the removal of a corset reveals female beauty from a different perspective that is nonetheless full of grace and elegance. As in all of the exhibit, the image is one of glamour and style - one worth more than just a "look."
The Look: Images of Glamour and Style will run at the Museum of Fine Arts through Jan. 6.
