The Perfect Bourgeois
Tato was a leader of the second wave of Italian Futurism and co-author with F. T. Marinetti of the Futurist Manifesto of Photography (1930). A pioneering figure of the New Vision in Italy, Tato proposed “camouflaging of objects”—having light and shadow transform ordinary shapes into anthropomorphic figures. Blending montage and Surrealist techniques, this witty photograph suggests an alternate reality in which inanimate objects are imbued with secret lives and the “perfect bourgeois” gentleman becomes a literal stuffed shirt.
Artwork Details
- Title: The Perfect Bourgeois
- Artist: Tato (Italian, 1896–1974)
- Date: 1930
- Medium: Gelatin silver print
- Dimensions: 17.8 x 23.7 cm (7 x 9 5/16 in.)
- Classification: Photographs
- Credit Line: Ford Motor Company Collection, Gift of Ford Motor Company and John C. Waddell, 1987
- Object Number: 1987.1100.272
- Curatorial Department: Photographs
More Artwork
A slider containing 5 items.
Press the down key to skip to the last item.
Press the down key to skip to the last item.
Brassaï (French (born Romania), Brașov 1899–1984 Côte d'Azur)
1932, printed ca. 1960
Germaine Krull (French (born Poland), Wilda-Poznan 1897–1985 Wetzlar, Germany)
1930s
Patrick Faigenbaum (French, born 1954)
1994–96
Eugène Atget (French, Libourne 1857–1927 Paris)
1927
Eugène Atget (French, Libourne 1857–1927 Paris)
1912
Related Content
Publications
Books, guides, and catalogues published by The Met.
Research Resources
The Met provides unparalleled resources for research and welcomes an international community of students and scholars. The Met's Open Access API is where creators and researchers can connect to the The Met collection. Open Access data and public domain images are available for unrestricted commercial and noncommercial use without permission or fee.
To request images under copyright and other restrictions, please use this Image Request form.
Feedback
We continue to research and examine historical and cultural context for objects in The Met collection. If you have comments or questions about this object record, please contact us using the form below. The Museum looks forward to receiving your comments.