1.13.2010

Beneath the Surface & Behind the Veil

I have long been enchanted with any type of fabric that has a sheer surface.
Lace, veils, net and tulle are found in great abundance in my closet
and my art. They seem to be an overt invitation to .. . . take a peek.

If our natural inclination is to seek that which is beneath a surface,
this is a tangible illusion.

We don't have to wonder what's beneath the surface , it's generally
quite visible - but, the message is clearly : Look but don't touch.

A bit of instant mystery.
I was pleased to find that one of the great photo journalists of the 2oth century
also shared my love of this illusory surface. Many veils are to be found
in the beguiling photographs of Alfred Eisenstaedt. These first photos were
done for another great fan of veils, the milliner Lily Dache.

Such a mysterious image .
Does anyone know the story behind this famous veiled lady? I believe this
photo was taken in Paris in the 20's.
Mr. Eisenstaedt even did a series of photos of this questionable man behind a veil.


The Countess Ludovica Gaetani d'Aragona is a girl I can definitely relate to.
She wore a snappy straw veiled boater with giant glam sunglasses at the
Rome Golf Club in 1947.

Love the look. Love the attitude.

Love the layers of surfaces which allow her protection
from being too .. . ... exposed.

___________________________
For more Surface notes from Theme Thursday,
go HERE.

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All photography Alfred Eisenstaedt

26 comments:

Kat Mortensen said...

Interesting take on the theme. Oh, and what a beautiful Borzoi!

Brian Miller said...

oh i love a good mystery...and my curiosity overtakes me...wonderful pics!

ceecee said...

I love veils too. I bought a bag full of old tulle veils at a flea market years ago and I cherish them and have used some in my work. Some have little velvet dots, or rhinestones, and all sorts of colors. Ah, mystery.

Catherine

P.Gaye Tapp at Little Augury said...

the sunglasses do it for me-if the veil were taken up again-I would be a proponent. Oddly as with the sunglasses-it shields it protects and it practically makes one invisible.

Wings1295 said...

Love the pics! Mystery indeed.

Stephanie said...

Veils are alluring and mysterious.

Skip Simpson said...

Wow! I haven't thought of veils in years. One of the classic staples of "Film Noir." Nice post!

JeffScape said...

Very interesting take. How do you lean towards wedding veils and, perhaps, Islamic dress?

The Clever Pup said...

The Parisian lady with what looks like a bag on her head looks very familiar. She may be in my book of Lartigue photos. Also, is that not Gary Cooper?

Tristan Robin said...

I am intrigued by veiling and use it a lot on my collages. There is something mysterious about that which can be seen but is hidden.

The lady on the Paris street looks as if she took her veil and put a rubber band on it around her neck.

Tom said...

the mystery behind the veil...lace is very sensual...love the pics

Michael said...

i've never seen that veiled lady image before. Wild. Yes, wodl love to know the story there. You brought up some very good things here.

Ingrid Mida said...

I am entranced by lace, tulle, veils and mesh. They add layers of mystery and seduction. My next show features mesh! We are on the same wavelength!

studioJudith said...

Happy to see so many fans of veils and small moments of mystery ... .

Hazel - Good catch! I do believe that's Mr. Cooper.

Monica said...

Great take on the theme. Love that first flower and the first Eisenstaedt photo.

Anonymous said...

Oh, this is fabulous! I love the old black and white photos. This is a perfect take on the theme:)

Baino said...

Ooh getting some hot tips from the fellas here. I'm out to buy me a veiled hat or a fascinator.

Gladys said...

I love veils too. I wonder why we stopped wearing hats.

Chrisy said...

Gorgeous photos here...and that veiled lady...I wonder what the story was...wish those veils would come back into fashion...so flattering...maybe we could start an anti-religion veil wearing group!

Louise said...

Great photos, am getting married soon and can't decide between a traditional veil or a birdcage one!

Oh, tulle and lace... *heart*

Have a good weekend!

Anonymous said...

Wooow, I fell into your Rolls Royce blog via another blog. Here I will stop and look around long. I hope it's ok that I add it to my 'lovelovelove' list.

Agneta, Sweden

Tess Kincaid said...

So romantic and mysterious! Now how did I miss this TT post?

Paula In Pinetop said...

Small moment of mystery. Love it. Love those sun glasses. Wow.

The Clever Pup said...

Yes - the lady with the silk hat on that resembles a paper bag - it is by Jacques-Henri Lartigue. It's entitled Avenue des Acacias, Paris 1911. But that's all I can find out.

Denishe said...

Being a milliner, I was pleased to see these photos. I love making and wearing veiled hats for the exact reasons you mention. I love, "look, but don't touch". If you get a chance, check out my work. My mini-toppers with veiling are really fun.

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