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Jacques-Henri Lartigue
Renée Perle, Portrait with Kiss Curls, ca. 1931

Though best known for the photographs he took as a child, Lartigue continued to photograph, as well as paint, as an adult.

In 1930 he met the sultry René Perle, a Romanian model who became his lover and muse for several years. His many portraits of Perle document his ardent obsession with her physical appearance. In his diary he wrote: “The small mouth with the full painted lips! The ebony black eyes. From under her fur coat comes a warmth of perfume. The head looks petite on her long neck.”

Perle is depicted here with a trendy “kiss curl,” a lock of hair pressed flat on the cheek. In other instances Lartigue photographed Perle in furs or other fashionable clothing, sometimes showing off painted nails and arms full of bangle bracelets. She is always perfectly appointed, as if posing for a fashion magazine.

Artwork Info

Artwork title
Renée Perle, Portrait with Kiss Curls
Artist name
Jacques-Henri Lartigue
Date created
ca. 1931
Classification
photograph
Medium
gelatin silver print
Dimensions
9 1/2 in. × 6 1/2 in. (24.13 cm × 16.51 cm)
Date acquired
2003
Credit
Collection SFMOMA
Gift of Carla Emil and Rich Silverstein
Copyright
Photographie J H Lartigue © Ministère de la Culture - France / AAJHL
Permanent URL
https://www.sfmoma.org/artwork/2003.174
Artwork status
Not on view at this time.

Other Works by Jacques-Henri Lartigue

See other works by Jacques-Henri Lartigue

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