AVA GADNER - Lot 103

AVA GADNER On the set of George Cukor's film "Bhowani Junction" (The Crossroads), 1955. Photo attributed to George Hoyningen-Huene (no photo credit), vintage silver print, prod. credits below image, annotated on back. 25.8 x 20.6 cm. Horny corner point. Note: Shot during the filming of George Cukor's Bhowani Junction (The Crossroads) in 1955, this portrait of Ava Gardner illustrates all the visual sophistication of Hollywood's great post-war productions. Adorned with jewels and an oriental veil inspired by the film's Indo-British context, the actress appears in an elegant, mysterious setting, where soft lighting and close framing accentuate the intensity of her gaze. The image thus develops a glamorous, exotic aesthetic, characteristic of many Hollywood films of the 1950s. A major figure in classic American cinema, Ava Gardner remains one of the most emblematic incarnations of Hollywood beauty. Her image, a blend of sensuality, independence and sophistication, has had a profound impact on the history of studio portraiture. Attributed to George Hoyningen-Huene, the famous fashion and portrait photographer of the 1930s to 1950s, this photograph retains all the finesse and refinement of the great promotional images of the golden age of American cinema.