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Variant of It’s a Cinch

1951
Not on view
An avid dancer, occasional nudist, and sometime artists’ model, Bassman was no stranger to the intimacies of in-studio observation. With her own models, she cultivated an easy rapport, ascribing the naturalism of her lingerie work to a camaraderie between women on either side of the camera.

Bassman branded herself as a "feminine" photographer, downplaying her technical acumen and contrasting her intimate aesthetic with her husband Paul Himmel’s "direct" and "virile" style. If outmoded today, the strategy proved savvy for a couple courting his-and-her accounts. In pursuit of a purportedly feminine look, Bassman often printed through tissue to soften her scenes. This is one such trial, for a publication exhibited in a floor case nearby.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Variant of It’s a Cinch
  • Artist: Lillian Bassman (American, Brooklyn, New York 1917–2012 New York)
  • Date: 1951
  • Medium: Gelatin silver print
  • Dimensions: 10 1/2 × 12 1/2 in. (26.7 × 31.8 cm)
  • Classification: Photographs
  • Credit Line: Gift of Lizzie and Eric Himmel, 2025
  • Object Number: 2025.889.25
  • Rights and Reproduction: © Estate of Lillian Bassman
  • Curatorial Department: Photographs

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[Harper's Bazaar Cover Maquette], Lillian Bassman, Gelatin silver print with collaged elements and applied media
[Harper's Bazaar Cover Maquette]
Lillian Bassman
1949
Doylestown House—Stairs from Below, Charles Sheeler American, Gelatin silver print
Doylestown House—Stairs from Below
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1917
Variant of The Cape Back is Back, Lillian Bassman, Gelatin silver print
Variant of The Cape Back is Back
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1949

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