A Report to Skeptics

1952

Not on view

Seeking brighter eyes or smoother skin? Bassman might prescribe light exposure, followed by a chemical bath for a quick fix. Diffusing and over-exposing the faces of her models, she achieved enviable complexions that seem lit from within. This photograph for Harper’s Bazaar shows model Suzy Parker ecstatically embarking on a "contour cream regime," but she has Bassman’s darkroom procedure to thank for her glow.

Artwork Details

Object Information

Overview

Provenance

Title: A Report to Skeptics
Artist: Lillian Bassman (American, Brooklyn, New York 1917–2012 New York)
Date: 1952
Medium: Gelatin silver print
Dimensions: 8 3/4 × 12 1/2 in. (22.2 × 31.8 cm)
Classification: Photographs
Credit Line: Gift of Lizzie and Eric Himmel, 2025
Object Number: 2025.889.27
Rights and Reproduction: © Estate of Lillian Bassman
Curatorial Department: Photographs

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In the same medium

The Starched Coif, Lillian Bassman, Gelatin silver print — The Starched Coif
Lillian Bassman
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[The Great Wave, Sète], Gustave Le Gray French, Albumen silver print from glass negative — [The Great Wave, Sète]
Gustave Le Gray
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Summer Supplements: Daytime Editions, Lillian Bassman, Gelatin silver print — Summer Supplements: Daytime Editions
Lillian Bassman
1959

The Big White Cloud, Lake George, Edward J. Steichen American, born Luxembourg, Direct carbon print — The Big White Cloud, Lake George
Edward J. Steichen
1903, printed 1904

["This Is the Enemy" Poster Maquette], Lillian Bassman, Collage of gelatin silver prints with applied media — ["This Is the Enemy" Poster Maquette]
Lillian Bassman
Alexey Brodovitch
1942

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