George Platt LynesPortrait of a Seated Woman
About the Item
- Creator:
- Dimensions:Height: 10 in (25.4 cm)Width: 8 in (20.32 cm)
- Medium:
- Period:
- Condition:
- Gallery Location:New York, NY
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU93238385642
George Platt Lynes
George Platt Lynes was lauded as one the world’s top commercial photographers in the first half of the 20th century, known for his portraits of important cultural figures, surreal fashion shoots and innovative use of lighting and evocative sets. However, in an era when homosexuality was considered a crime, Lynes had to keep secret his best work: erotic nude photographs of men.
Born in 1907 in New Jersey, Lynes attended the Berkshire School in Sheffield, Massachusetts, graduating in 1925. In his youth, Lynes had dreamed of becoming a writer. He published a literary journal and opened a bookstore, both of which were unsuccessful. When he inherited a trove of photographic equipment from a friend, Lynes turned his focus toward a career in photography.
Self-taught, Lynes proved to be a gifted talent behind the camera. His preternatural understanding of the interplay between light, shadow and form garnered critical acclaim. In 1932, Lynes had his first solo exhibition, at Leggett Gallery, followed by a two-artist show with photographer Walker Evans at Julien Levy Gallery. By 1933, Lynes became a central figure in New York photography, whose stylized technique was sought by magazines such as Harper’s Bazaar, Town & Country and Vogue.
In 1935, the American Ballet Company (now the New York City Ballet) commissioned Lynes to photograph their principal dancers and performances, leading to Lynes’s appointment as the company’s primary photographer for the next 20 years.
While Lynes enjoyed immense success as a fashion and commercial photographer from the 1930s to the 1950s, he was secretly photographing male nudes — a subject considered highly taboo at the time. Fearing criminal reprisal, Lynes hid the photos and his sexual orientation from the public, sharing his work with a few select friends. Among them was Dr. Alfred Kinsey, founder of the Kinsey Institute, who, in the late 1940s, was researching human sexuality. Enthralled by Lynes’s figurative, black and white photos of the male form, Kinsey purchased more than 600 prints and several hundred negatives at the risk of prosecution.
After he was diagnosed with lung cancer, in 1955, Lynes destroyed many of his negatives and prints. However, he entrusted a sizeable volume of his male nudes to the Kinsey Institute, which today holds the largest collection of Lynes’s works, second only to the Lynes estate. In 2019, an exhibition of images culled from the Kinsey collection, “Sensual/Sexual/Social: The Photography of George Platt Lynes,” was held at the Indianapolis Museum of Art at Newfields.
Long after his death, Lynes’s legacy has shaped the evolution of sexual and gender norms. His works are highly sought by galleries and collectors of modern and contemporary photography.
On 1stDibs, discover a range of George Platt Lynes photography.
- ShippingRetrieving quote...Ships From: New York, NY
- Return PolicyA return for this item may be initiated within 3 days of delivery.
- Finito de Cordoba, Ronda, Spain, 1995By Michael CrouserLocated in New York, NYToned gelatin silver print Signed, titled, dated, and numbered, recto 14 x 11 inches, sheet (Edition of 25) 20 x 16 inches, sheet (Edition of 25) 24 x 20 inches, sheet (Edition of...Category
1990s Other Art Style Black and White Photography
MaterialsSilver Gelatin
- Maidenhair FernBy Amanda MeansLocated in New York, NYGelatin silver print (Edition of 20) Signed, titled, dated, and numbered, verso This artwork is offered by ClampArt, located in New York City.Category
1990s Contemporary Black and White Photography
MaterialsSilver Gelatin
- Guys at Christopher Street PierBy Meryl MeislerLocated in New York, NYGelatin silver print Signed, titled, dated, and numbered, verso 14 x 11 inches, sheet size (Edition of 5 + 2 APs) 20 x 16 inches, sheet size (Edition of 5 + 2 APs) From the series "Purgatory & Paradise: Sassy '70s, Suburbia & The City" A vintage print may also be available. Please inquire for details. This artwork is offered by ClampArt, located in New York City. Meryl Meisler...Category
1970s Other Art Style Black and White Photography
MaterialsSilver Gelatin
- [The Circle] LaSalle Street, HarlemBy Todd WebbLocated in New York, NYGelatin silver print Stamped in black ink, verso This artwork is offered by CLAMP, located in New York City. Todd Webb (1905-2000) was an American photogra...Category
1940s American Modern Black and White Photography
MaterialsSilver Gelatin
- Alvin SocoBy George DureauLocated in New York, NYThis photograph by George Dureau is offered by CLAMP in New York City. Contact gallery for price.Category
1980s Contemporary Photography
MaterialsSilver Gelatin
- Robert Rauschenberg, Roy Lichtenstein, and Andy Warhol. . .By Bob AdelmanLocated in New York, NYThis black and white photograph by Bob Adelman is offered by CLAMP in New York City.Category
20th Century Contemporary Photography
MaterialsSilver Gelatin
- Lightning Strikes, New Mexico 2014Located in Santa Fe, NMSir Roger Deakins, Cinematographer and Photographer. Byways, Damiani Books. Lightning Strikes, New Mexico 2014, available in several sizes, please inquire.Category
2010s Landscape Photography
MaterialsSilver Gelatin
- Alfred StieglitzBy Imogen CunninghamLocated in Santa Fe, NMThe image of Alfred Stieglitz standing in front of Black Iris III painted by Georgia O'Keeffe in 1926. When Imogen Cunningham took this picture in 1934, the painting was hanging in S...Category
Mid-20th Century Portrait Photography
MaterialsSilver Gelatin
- Smoking Break, Germany, 2007Located in Santa Fe, NMSir Roger Deakins, Cinematographer and Photographer. Byways, Damiani Books. Smoking Break, Germany, 2007, available in several sizes, please inquire.Category
2010s Landscape Photography
MaterialsSilver Gelatin
- Poppit Sands #19, WalesLocated in London, GB"I went there one evening and just by chance there was a low tide. I took a batch of photos and once I developed them at home I saw a certain light and a certain type of picture that...Category
2010s Tonalist Black and White Photography
MaterialsArchival Paper, Black and White, Silver Gelatin
- Near the Church - abstract black and white landscape depicted in the LuminogramLocated in London, GBNEAR THE CHURCH, 2016 Unique Luminogram Silver Gelatin Print, Framed; Framing options available, also can be shipped unframed if preferable Framed; museum mount board, white metal fr...Category
2010s Abstract Geometric Abstract Prints
MaterialsPhotographic Paper, Black and White, Photogram, Silver Gelatin
- The Self Representation of Light #412, 2 x Luminograms as one workLocated in London, GBIt's really majestic piece. It's grand in size and its got a very beautiful and impressive contrast in shades. This piece is something very special... two Luminograms in one work of...Category
2010s Abstract Expressionist Abstract Photography
MaterialsBlack and White, Photogram, Silver Gelatin, Glass, Oak, Archival Paper
Recently Viewed
View AllRead More
Lori Grinker’s Artful Photographs of a Young Mike Tyson Are a Knockout!
The New York photographer tells us how an encounter with the then-13-year-old boxer led to a decade-long project that saw them both go pro.
In Marc Yankus’s Photos, New York Landmarks Are Pristinely Devoid of People
A new exhibition at Manhattan's ClampArt gallery shows off the artist's portraits of urban architectural icons.