To truly understand boudoir photography, we first need to understand the allure & mystery behind a woman's private boudoir.
What is The Boudoir?
In the 18th Century, the boudoir was a woman's private parlor or bedroom/sitting room that she would retire to for privacy.
It was usually decorated with soft, romantic furnishings, and it quickly became known as a place of luxury, relaxation, and pampering.
The boudoir was a woman's sanctuary. It was a place where she could escape the public eye and be free to express her true self.
This private part of the home was reserved for the woman's closest friends & family members. It was a place where they could be themselves without judgment or criticism.
Men were allowed into a woman's boudoir, but only if invited. This further added to the sensual intrigue of the space.
A Controversial Start in the 1890's
Boudoir photography started around the 1890's when the first boudoir photography album was published in France. Back then, it was thought to be highly pornographic. However, the country continued to sell the first boudoir postcards secretly across shops throughout Paris.
Since they were low on circulation the erotic postcards even became collector's items. The pictures 7 postcards mostly featured nude ladies and often showed them in groups.
Albert Arthur Allen's Intimate Portraiture - The Public Emergence of Boudoir Photography in the 1920's
Back in the roaring '20's, when boudoir photography emerged publicly, the idea of taking nude or risqué images was still deemed disgraceful.
Around that time, an American artist named Albert Arthur Allen changed the perception of boudoir photography when he began photographing women in a more natural setting. He photographed women of all shapes and sixes, using hir artistic expression to capture women in their most intimate forms.
Allen's work was incredibly controversial at the time, despite its artistic nature. He was even arrested several time for his, "indecent" photography. At the time, any form of nudity was illegal within photographic art, but Allen persisted.
Despite the controversy, Allen's work quickly gained popularity among the elite class.
His work was seen as sensual & beautiful rather than pornographic. This fine art boudoir photography gained popularity in Europe, with many wealthy women eager to have their own private boudoir photo sessions.
Allen's work paved the way for Fine Art Boudoir Photography as we know it today.
His natural approach to photographing women in a state of undress allowed for a more authentic & intimate portrayal of the female form.
His usage of women of all shapes and sizes also challenged the unrealistic beauty standards of the time, inspiring women to embrace their unique beauty.
The Pin-Up Girl Revolution
The pin-up girl revolution began in the 1940s during WWII. During this time, drawings & photos of women in tight corsets, hot pants, and other revealing clothing became a popular morale booster to soldiers overseas.
While these pin-up girls were undoubtedly beautiful, they were also highly stylized and airbrushed to meet unrealistic beauty standards.
This was in stark contrast to the fine art boudoir photography of Albert Arthur Allen, which celebrated authenticity and natural beauty.
Around the same time, feminist icon Marilyn Monroe began to challenge traditional beauty standards with her own unique brand of sensuality. She was unapologetically herself, and her curvaceous figure quickly made her a household name.
While Monroe was certainly a sex symbol, she was also an empowering force for women.
Photographer Sam Shaw became famous for his intimate candid & boudoir photographs of Marilyn. These highlighted her natural feminine beauty and genuine candor.
The Feminist Movement of the 70's & 80's
In the 1970's & 1980's, the feminist movement gained traction, and women worldwide were fighting for equality. This was a time of significant change, and fine art boudoir photography began to reflect this. While pin-ups had helped to empower women, they also stood in the way of genuine expression.
As the 1970's saw women's liberation and the rise of a second-wave of feminism, fine art boudoir becoming a way for them to celebrate themselves, choosing how they wanted to be posed, photographed, and seen. The photos of this time showed women in moments of genuine intimacy and vulnerability rather than in a state of staged seduction.
This more natural and authentic approach to fine art boudoir photography has continued today, rather than the once popular staged scenes.
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