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Dovima with Elephants, Evening Dress by Dior, Cirque d'Hiver, Paris

A work made of gelatin silver print.
Copyright © The Richard Avedon Foundation.

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  • A work made of gelatin silver print.

Date:

August 1955, printed 1979

Artist:

Richard Avedon
American, 1923–2004

About this artwork

Richard Avedon characterized his improvised approach to fashion photography as “a vacation from life.” Dovima with Elephants originally appeared in a 14-page story on Paris fashions published in the September 1955 issue of Harper’s Bazaar (where Avedon was staff photographer from 1946 to 1965). Avedon photographed the model known as Dovima (born Dorothy Virginia Margaret Juba) in a studio and various Paris locations, including the Cirque d’Hiver, where this image was shot. He later recounted, “I saw the elephants under an enormous skylight… . I then had to find the right dress and I knew there was a potential here for a kind of dream image.” The dress chosen was in fact the first design for Dior by 19-year-old Yves Saint Laurent. In the photograph Dovima appears poised and fearless, her sinuous contours echoing those of the massive pachyderms she seems to command.

Status

Currently Off View

Department

Photography and Media

Artist

Richard Avedon

Title

Dovima with Elephants, Evening Dress by Dior, Cirque d'Hiver, Paris

Place

United States (Artist's nationality:)

Date  Dates are not always precisely known, but the Art Institute strives to present this information as consistently and legibly as possible. Dates may be represented as a range that spans decades, centuries, dynasties, or periods and may include qualifiers such as c. (circa) or BCE.

Made 1955

Medium

Gelatin silver print

Edition

13 of 50

Dimensions

Image: 59.5 × 47.9 cm (23 7/16 × 18 7/8 in.); Paper: 60.5 × 51 cm (23 7/8 × 20 1/8 in.)

Credit Line

Gift of the David C. and Sarajean Ruttenberg Arts Foundation

Reference Number

2014.680

Copyright

Copyright © The Richard Avedon Foundation.

Extended information about this artwork

Object information is a work in progress and may be updated as new research findings emerge. To help improve this record, please email . Information about image downloads and licensing is available here.

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