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Ormond Gigli Nude Photography

American, 1925-2019

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)

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Artist: Ormond Gigli
Nude, Side View
By Ormond Gigli
Located in Lenox, MA
Ormond Gigli Nude, Side View Gelatin Silver Print 14" x 11" Unique: $10000 Provenance: Printed by the artist, from the artist's studio 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 Bates, Richard Burton, & many more. Most of these images have not been widely seen since they first appeared over four decades ago. Gigli worked more like a film director than a photojournalist. His ability to earn his subjects' trust in his vision -- often during complicated, uncomfortable, even dangerous setups -- was as important to the photos as his technical finesse with the camera. His disarming way with his subjects is evident in the revealing anecdotes of the people and times he so vividly recalls. He was welcomed backstage on Broadway as readily as he was in the private lives of celebrities. Some of Gigli's favorite photographs were self-assigned, international award-winners, such as "Girls in the Windows...
Category

Late 20th Century Ormond Gigli Nude Photography

Materials

Silver Gelatin

Nude
By Ormond Gigli
Located in Lenox, MA
Ormond Gigli Nude, 1988 Gelatin Silver Print 13.5" x 10.5" Unique: $10000 Provenance: Printed by the artist, from the artist's studio 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 Bates, Richard Burton, & many more. Most of these images have not been widely seen since they first appeared over four decades ago. Gigli worked more like a film director than a photojournalist. His ability to earn his subjects' trust in his vision -- often during complicated, uncomfortable, even dangerous setups -- was as important to the photos as his technical finesse with the camera. His disarming way with his subjects is evident in the revealing anecdotes of the people and times he so vividly recalls. He was welcomed backstage on Broadway as readily as he was in the private lives of celebrities. Some of Gigli's favorite photographs were self-assigned, international award-winners, such as "Girls in the Windows...
Category

Late 20th Century Ormond Gigli Nude Photography

Materials

Silver Gelatin

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Ormond Gigli nude photography for sale on 1stDibs.

Find a wide variety of authentic Ormond Gigli nude photography available for sale on 1stDibs. You can also browse by medium to find art by Ormond Gigli in silver gelatin print and more. Not every interior allows for large Ormond Gigli nude photography, so small editions measuring 11 inches across are available. Customers who are interested in this artist might also find the work of Howard Schatz, Robert Farber, and Greg Gorman. Ormond Gigli nude photography prices can differ depending upon medium, time period and other attributes. On 1stDibs, the price for these items starts at $10,000 and tops out at $10,000, while the average work can sell for $10,000.

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