Actress Hedy Lamarr (1913-2000) epitomized Hollywood glamour, and she was usually cast in seductive, glamorous roles. One of her earliest performances, in the Czech film Ecstasy (1933), included notorious nude scenes. This mesmerizing portrait by Clarence Sinclair Bull-made soon after Lamarr arrived in Hollywood-uses an unusually tight composition and dramatic lighting to emphasize her sensuality.
Gift of Hallmark Cards, Inc.
1938
Gelatin silver print
12.4 x 9.5 in
2005.27.3902
Text © The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, 2020
Permanent collection