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In August of 1975, Helmut Newton was invited by the Count of Arcangues to spend four days and nights in a château in south-western France, a few kilometres from Biarritz. He then took a series of pictures for Vogue Paris as well as for his first book, White Women, then in preparation. A modelling agency sent Roselyne to Newton’s Paris studio a mere 24 hours before they left for the Château d’Arcangues. At first, Newton, who was not shown her portfolio, thought she was too short, but he eventually became intrigued by her beauty. Newton’s rare choice of a high-angle shot highlights Roselyne’s central silhouette, and her posture and radiant skin make her stand out against the sumptuous decor. Newton wrote in his journal: “The right girl, at the right time, has always been my inspiration; it’s all about timing.” This work is a rare large-format example of the ferrotyped gelatin silver prints the artist favoured in the 1970s. Newton appreciated these high-gloss ferrotyped prints for their singular aesthetic, which matched the “hard” and “cool chic” style of his pictures and reminded him of the glossy press prints that he so appreciated.
Invité à séjourner par le comte d’Arcangues quatre jours et quatre nuits dans un château du sud-ouest de la France en août 1975, à quelques kilomètres de Biarritz, Newton réalise une série de photos pour Vogue Paris mais aussi pour son premier livre White Women (Femmes secrètes) en préparation. Roselyne est envoyée au studio parisien d’Helmut Newton par une agence de mannequins seulement 24h avant le départ au château d’Arcangues. Sans book à présenter, Newton la juge d’abord trop petite mais est finalement fasciné par sa beauté. L’emploi d’une vue en plongée, atypique dans la production de Newton, fait ressortir la silhouette centrale de Roselyne qui se détache du décor somptueux par sa posture et sa peau éclatante. Dans son journal, il écrit à ce propos : “La bonne fille au bon moment, voilà ce qui m’a toujours inspiré ; c’est une affaire de timing”. Cette œuvre, rare dans ce grand format, s’inscrit parmi les tirages ferrotypés de la production de Newton, technique qu’il utilise dans les années 1970 et dont il vouait les qualités esthétiques en ce qu’elles s’accordaient avec le ton “hard” et “cool chic” de ses images. Ces tirages ferrotypés au rendu brillant étaient particulièrement prisés par Newton pour leur ressemblance aux tirages de presse qu’il admirait tant.
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Ferrotyped gelatin silver print on glossy paper with margin. Tiny scratches, fingerprints, linear traces and creases in places, visible under close inspection and mostly under raking light. Margin : minor yellowing along lower right edge, minute folds, tears and emulsion loss along margin's edges. There are no other apparent condition issues. Please note this work is sold framed.
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Lot 25Sale 21819
"Roselyne at Arcangues", 1975HELMUT NEWTON (1920-2004)Estimate: EUR 90,000 - 110,000
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