Ormond GigliGwen Verdon, New York, 19531953
1953
About the Item
- Creator:Ormond Gigli (1925, American)
- Creation Year:1953
- Dimensions:Height: 16.5 in (41.91 cm)Width: 13.5 in (34.29 cm)
- Medium:
- Movement & Style:
- Period:
- Condition:
- Gallery Location:Lenox, MA
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU1801213721562
Ormond Gigli
Ormond Gigli (1925–2019) was a highly regarded American photojournalist, best known for his breathtaking portraiture and surreal fashion photography. With a career spanning over four decades, Gigli's visual narratives appeared in prominent international publications such as TIME, LIFE, Paris Match, and Colliers.
Gigli began his journey in the 1950s, gaining recognition for his captivating photographs of theater, film, and dance. His subjects were a medley of cultural icons — Sophia Loren, Gina Lollobrigida, Anita Ekberg, Marcel Duchamp, Willem de Kooning, John F. Kennedy, Halston, Marlene Dietrich, Judy Garland, Liza Minelli, Laurence Olivier, Alan Bates, Richard Burton, Louis Armstrong, Miles Davis, and many more.
Gigli’s approach to portraiture was as much about his technical prowess and compositional elegance as it was about his ability to elicit his subject's spirit and character, a skill that would mark him as one of the luminaries of his time, akin to contemporaries such as Richard Avedon, Irving Penn, and Diane Arbus.
Yet, the pièce de résistance of Gigli's illustrious career is the iconic photograph known as Girls in the Windows, taken in 1960. This masterwork exemplifies Gigli's innovative vision and ability to transform the everyday into a tableau vivant of unparalleled aesthetic appeal. The image depicts 43 women poised in the windows of a New York City brownstone, exuding an ephemeral vibrancy that captures the essence of 1960s fashion and art photography.
Born in New York City in 1925, Gigli's passion for photography blossomed when he received his first camera from his father. After graduating from the School of Modern Photography in 1942, he served as a Navy photographer during World War II. Post-war, Gigli lived the bohemian life in Paris, before returning to New York where his career took off in 1952 after a series of celebrity portraits for LIFE magazine.
Gigli's modus operandi for Girls in the Windows was to immortalize the beauty of the soon-to-be-demolished buildings opposite his East 58th Street studio. Within the constraints of a two-hour window, Gigli meticulously arranged models, some of whom volunteered from an agency, some friends, and others being his wife and the demolition supervisor's wife. The final result was a symphony of color, form, and life, beautifully encapsulated within the frames of the brownstone windows.
Gigli recalled in an interview with TIME magazine: "What had seemed to some as too dangerous or difficult to accomplish, became my fantasy fulfilled, and my most memorable self-assigned photograph. It has been an international award winner ever since. Most professional photographers dream of having one signature picture they are known for. Girls in the Windows is mine."
Today, Girls in the Windows stands as a testament to Gigli's creativity and daring. As vibrant and evocative as it was in 1960, the photograph continues to resonate, its allure undiminished by the passage of time. Much like the timeless works of his contemporaries, Gigli's photograph is an ode to the beauty of everyday life, captured in a moment of extraordinary serendipity.
Shop authentic Ormond Gigli photography and prints on 1stDibs.
(Biography provided by International Fine Arts Consortium — IFAC Arts)
- ShippingRetrieving quote...Ships From: Lenox, MA
- Return PolicyThis item cannot be returned.
- VignettesBy Ormond GigliLocated in Lenox, MAVignettes Printed by the Artist Ormond Gigli Born New York City, 1925 Ormond Gigli became famous early on during the 1950s for his photographs of theatre, celebrities, dance, exotic persons & places. His work appeared prominently on covers & editorial pages of LIFE, TIME, PARIS MATCH, SATURDAY EVENING POST, COLLIERS, and other major international publications. Gigli's groundbreaking portraits include Sophia Loren (at age 21), Anita Ekberg, Marcel Duchamp, John F. Kennedy, Halston, Gina Lollobrigida, Diana Vreeland, Giancarlo Giannini, Marlene Dietrich, Judy Garland, Sir Laurence Olivier, Alan...Category
20th Century Contemporary Black and White Photography
MaterialsSilver Gelatin
- Sophia, 1955 Rome (Twirling)By Ormond GigliLocated in Lenox, MASophia, 1955 Rome (Twirling) Printed by the Artist Ormond Gigli Born New York City, 1925 Ormond Gigli became famous early on during the 1950s for his photographs of theatre, celebrities, dance, exotic persons & places. His work appeared prominently on covers & editorial pages of LIFE, TIME, PARIS MATCH, SATURDAY EVENING POST, COLLIERS, and other major international publications. Gigli's groundbreaking portraits include Sophia Loren (at age 21), Anita Ekberg, Marcel Duchamp, John F. Kennedy, Halston, Gina Lollobrigida, Diana Vreeland, Giancarlo Giannini, Marlene Dietrich, Judy Garland, Sir Laurence Olivier, Alan...Category
20th Century Contemporary Black and White Photography
MaterialsSilver Gelatin
- 3 Matadors, Seville (1952)By Ormond GigliLocated in Lenox, MAOrmond Gigli Gelatin Silver Print 22.5" x 16" Unique: $5225 Provenance: From the artist's studio, Printed by artist Signature: Signed en verso ORMOND GIGLI Born New York City, 192...Category
Mid-20th Century Black and White Photography
MaterialsSilver Gelatin
- NeffBy Ormond GigliLocated in Lenox, MAOrmond Gigli Neff, 1954 Gelatin Silver Print 13.5" x 10.5" Unique: $6500 Provenance: Printed by the artist, from the artist's studio Signature: Signed en verso ORMOND GIGLI Born Ne...Category
Mid-20th Century Black and White Photography
MaterialsSilver Gelatin
- Lovers 3By Ormond GigliLocated in Lenox, MAOrmond Gigli Lovers 3 Gelatin Silver Print Printed by the artist 17.5" x 20.5" Unique: $2500 Provenance: Printed by the artist, from the artist's studio Signature: Signed en verso A...Category
Mid-20th Century Black and White Photography
MaterialsSilver Gelatin
- Oxen in the Rain, Portugal, Barcellos (1952)By Ormond GigliLocated in Lenox, MAOrmond Gigli Gelatin Silver Print Printed by artist 17.75" x 20.5" Unique: $4725 Provenance: Printed by the artist, from the artist's studio Signature: Signed en verso ORMOND GIGLI Born New York City, 1925 Ormond Gigli became famous early on during the 1950s for his photographs of theatre, celebrities, dance, exotic persons & places. His work appeared prominently on covers & editorial pages of LIFE, TIME, PARIS MATCH, SATURDAY EVENING POST, COLLIERS, and other major international publications. Gigli's groundbreaking portraits include Sophia Loren (at age 21), Anita Ekberg, Marcel Duchamp, John F. Kennedy, Halston, Gina Lollobrigida, Diana Vreeland, Giancarlo Giannini...Category
Mid-20th Century Black and White Photography
MaterialsSilver Gelatin
- Attempted Escape, Lima, PeruLocated in Toronto, ONHand Signed by Ken Heyman Limited Edition of ? ...Category
1960s Contemporary Black and White Photography
MaterialsSilver Gelatin
- Paradise, TXBy Keith Carter b.1948Located in Dallas, TXEdition of 50 Signed, titled, dated and numbered. Series: From Uncertain to Blue Keith Carter is an American photographer who is known for his dreamlike black and white photographs ...Category
1990s Contemporary Portrait Photography
MaterialsSilver Gelatin
- Sadakichi's Docks, Otaru, Hokkaido, JapanBy Michael KennaLocated in Dallas, TXEdition of 45 Signed, titled, negative date, print date and numbered by Michael Kenna Sepia toned gelatin silver print Michael Kenna's black and white photographs are powerful and a...Category
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Landscape Photography
MaterialsSilver Gelatin
- Holding VenusBy Keith Carter b.1948Located in Dallas, TXEdition of 50 Signed, titled, dated and numbered in pencil on print verso. Keith Carter is an American photographer who is known for his dreamlike black and white photographs of the...Category
1990s Contemporary Black and White Photography
MaterialsSilver Gelatin
- Woman on a Level Four, Monte Carlo Gelatin Silver Print, Black&White PhotographyBy Helmut NewtonLocated in Milano, ITA vintage print by Helmut Newton, dating back to the year 2000, bearing original stamps on the verso and accompanied by a certification of authenticity issued by Davide Manfredi, for...Category
Early 2000s Contemporary Black and White Photography
MaterialsSilver Gelatin
- Pablo PicassoLocated in Toronto, ONHand Signed by Ken Heyman ...Category
1950s Contemporary Black and White Photography
MaterialsSilver Gelatin