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

Overview

Provenance

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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The Well-Dressed Leg, Lillian Bassman, Gelatin silver print — The Well-Dressed Leg
Lillian Bassman
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