New York City (Girls in Windows) 1961
View Similar Items
Ormond GigliNew York City (Girls in Windows) 19611961
1961
About the Item
- Creator:Ormond Gigli (1925, American)
- Creation Year:1961
- Dimensions:Height: 23 in (58.42 cm)Width: 23 in (58.42 cm)
- Medium:
- Period:
- Condition:
- Gallery Location:New York, NY
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU106913855161
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)
- Mick in Fur HoodBy David BaileyLocated in London, GBDavid Bailey Mick in Fur Hood, 1964 Platinum Palladium print on paper Signed by the artist, on verso Image: 49.5 x 49.5 cm Sheet: 59.7 x 68.6 cm Edition of 25 + 1 APCategory
1960s Modern Black and White Photography
MaterialsPlatinum
- Elephants Walking Through Grass, Amboseli – Nick Brandt, Elephants, PhotographyBy Nick BrandtLocated in Zurich, CHNICK BRANDT (*1966, England) Elephants Walking Through Grass, Amboseli 2008 Platinum print Image 58.42 x 106.68 cm (23 x 42 in.) Sheet 76 x 111.2 cm (29 7/8 x 43 3/4 in.) Edition of ...Category
Early 2000s Contemporary Figurative Photography
MaterialsPlatinum
- Canyon of the Rio Grande, 1930By Paul Strand, 1890-1976Located in Carmel-by-the-Sea, CASigned Paul Strand by Hazel Strand (H.S.). Artist reference number: SW-LAND-436. From the Paul Strand Estate.Category
20th Century Black and White Photography
MaterialsPlatinum
- TSITAKAKOIKE, Andombiry ForestBy Beth MoonLocated in Sante Fe, NM*22x30" editions and 24x36" editions are platinum prints. Editions with a width of 60" or greater are archival pigment prints* Baobabs are one of Africa’s natural wonders: they can ...Category
2010s Contemporary Black and White Photography
MaterialsArchival Pigment, Platinum
- BalenciagaBy David BaileyLocated in London, GBPlatinum palladium print, framed, Signed by the artist, on verso Image: 40.6 x 40.6 cm (sheet: 57 x 57 cm), Framed: 60.5 x 60.5 cm Edition of 10 David Bailey is a renowned British...Category
1960s Modern Figurative Photography
MaterialsPlatinum
$51,400 - Octopus Vulgaris ( Special Edition)By Jan C. SchlegelLocated in VALLAURIS, FRWhile also available as a platinum print on Arches Platinum Rag (56 x 76 cm), this larger version (63 x 99 cm) of Schlegel's famous "Octopus Vulgaris" is a true prowess. It is printed on 30 gsm Japanese Hand-made Gampi paper. Taking into account the thinness of the paper and the fact that the platinum salt emulsion is embedded into its fiber during the printing process, this is a real feat of technical strength. Considered as the most archival process of all; its perfectly matte tonal range goes from a cool, slightly purple black to split tones of brown and warm black, to a very warm brown. Sold framed with a museum glass measuring 85 x 115 cm _______ The ocean has always been one of the most mysterious places on earth. In the past many legends and myths have evolved around monsters living in the deep sea. As a child many of us used to fantasize about underwater monsters like giant colossal squids having so much power that they were able to take down ships. By looking at Jan C. Schlegel his pictures, you can get a small glimpse of the richness and diversity of our oceans. When we think of fish, we usually perceive them as food and think of salmon or tuna. The photographs reveal much more than what could be imagined and are truly a special tribute to all the different kind of species living underneath the surface. There are sea horses that look like dragons with galaxies on their skin, flounders with their perfect flat form and their ability to turn invisible or even squids that will remind you of aliens from another planet. Using platinum printing as a process allows Jan C. Schlegel to create a deepness in his pictures that makes every small detail and structure visible for the human eye. It gives you the impression of being able to feel the animal just by looking at the pictures. This series celebrates the art of nature...Category
2010s Contemporary Black and White Photography
MaterialsPlatinum