The day I visited the Rotterdam Ro theater’s fabulous interpretation of the fairy tail ‘Puss in Boots’: click here for more Information on the show.
Avedon, Richard (1923-2004), ‘If looks can kill, this one will’ 1962, full colour, double page ad for Revlon lipstick and eye shadow, 42,4 x 28,8 cm from Glamour April 1962, double page
In 1962 the puss was added to ‘Cleopatra’, the text explains her ‘see at night eyes’, with the new trend in heavy eye-make up for ‘Sphinx Eyes’. As a headline in the Times of Februari 2, 1962 reads: ‘Cleopatra is back, Man!’ as the stunning Nile-look is spotted from the Seine to the Mississippi (p.72). To read the article with stunning photos, click here.
The return to ‘making women look the way they were made to look’ was seen in fashion, hairstyle and jewelry. But to enhance her sphinx-like qualities, ‘that shook the pyramids”, Revlon also developped a new Cleopatra look (as only Revlon does it). The shockingly chic sloe-eyed look needed a well worked out advertisement campaign, shot by Richard Avedon. Page 74 and 75 show more pictures of the Avedon shot with different models, here the Australian Margot McKendry.
Finally the photos with Suzy Parker were selected, here another frame with her head held slightly lower. Her hands might form a clou: as the ‘sphinx pink’ was meant for, lips and matching fingertips’: in her position the nails were actually visible.
But notice the absence of the cat, which was present in the former shoot. Due to the straight line where overlapping Cleopatra, it might be put in later.
Literature:
‘Cleopatra is back, Man!‘ in: Times. 52, no.5 (Februari 2 1962), p.72-75.
Kleopatra die Ewige Diva. Exh.cat. (Kunsthalle Bonn) 2013, pp.292-93.