Barbette Dressing
Man Ray American
Not on view
This photograph is a backstage portrait of Barbette, a notorious and popular female impersonator, high-wire entertainer, and trapeze artist. It belongs to a series that Man Ray made on commission for Surrealist author Jean Cocteau, who championed Barbette as a consummate performer. Barbette’s heavily made-up face, wig, and muscular torso suggest a provocative conflation of differently gendered attributes. The harness secured around his waist hints at the daring and athletic spectacle of his show.
Due to rights restrictions, this image cannot be enlarged, viewed at full screen, or downloaded.
