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Lot Essay
From 1925 until 1929, Paul Outerbridge, Jr. lived in Europe and England where he worked for French Vogue and became familiar with the leading artists of the time there. Paris was still the art capital of the world then and Outerbridge entered it already an established member of the fashion industry. His rapid rise to photographic stardom was incredible: he went from taking classes at Clarence White's School of Photography in 1921 to being a highly successful advertising photographer in less than three years. For example, no sooner had he left White's school that he produced his advertisement for the George P. Ide Company (see Lot 19) and thereby created an instantaneous reputation as one of the sharpest eyes in the business.
In 1927 hard times befell Outerbridge. His wife and frequent model, Paula, and he separated. That year, in conjunction with a client, the mannequin manufacturer Mason Siegal, he built an extravagant, elaborate and expensively equipped studio, reportedly costing 1.5 million French francs. The studio failed immediately.
The Self-portrait offered here remains, like much of Outerbridge's life story, an unresolved mystery. There are no clues as to what purpose the picture held. Perhaps Outerbridge had met Atget or seen his pictures. It is tempting to think that the series of shop windows, such as in Avenue des Gobelins (Lot 18), with its male mannequins, eternally ready for any formal affair, inspired him to impress his new partners by becoming what he was hired to sell.
Or, perhaps he saw the writing on the wall of his own demise. To document it before it happened in his inimitable style, part perversion, part fetish, he created the ultimate image of the artist as the Invisible Man.
In the sale catalogue for the Collection of Graham Nash it is noted that according to the Paul Outerbridge Estate there exists 4 variants of this image. Each of the variants is thought to be unique.
In 1927 hard times befell Outerbridge. His wife and frequent model, Paula, and he separated. That year, in conjunction with a client, the mannequin manufacturer Mason Siegal, he built an extravagant, elaborate and expensively equipped studio, reportedly costing 1.5 million French francs. The studio failed immediately.
The Self-portrait offered here remains, like much of Outerbridge's life story, an unresolved mystery. There are no clues as to what purpose the picture held. Perhaps Outerbridge had met Atget or seen his pictures. It is tempting to think that the series of shop windows, such as in Avenue des Gobelins (Lot 18), with its male mannequins, eternally ready for any formal affair, inspired him to impress his new partners by becoming what he was hired to sell.
Or, perhaps he saw the writing on the wall of his own demise. To document it before it happened in his inimitable style, part perversion, part fetish, he created the ultimate image of the artist as the Invisible Man.
In the sale catalogue for the Collection of Graham Nash it is noted that according to the Paul Outerbridge Estate there exists 4 variants of this image. Each of the variants is thought to be unique.