Object Details
Artist
George Hurrell, 1 Jun 1904 - 17 May 1992
Sitter
Marlene Dietrich, 27 Dec 1901 - 6 May 1992
Exhibition Label
With her world-weary sophistication, smoky voice, and icy allure, Marlene Dietrich brought a highly provocative glamour to the silver screen. The rapturous response to Morocco and The Blue Angel— the melodramas that introduced her to American audiences in 1930—marked Dietrich for stardom. She honed her magnetic public persona in each of the six films made with director and mentor Josef von Sternberg, exerting a commanding presence even in the weakest vehicle.
Dietrich began bringing a full-length mirror to her filmsets with von Sternberg to monitor both the lighting and her appearance on camera. She continued this practice during her portrait sittings with George Hurrell. By placing her mirror as closely as possible to Hurrell’s camera, she was able to position herself before the shutter clicked. Recalling that he had little agency during their sessions, Hurrell observed, “Those sultry, sexy poses were mostly her creation.”
Con su sofisticación cínica, su voz ronca y una apatía seductora, Marlene Dietrich proyectaba en la gran pantalla un glamur provocador. La euphoria que causaron Marruecos y El Ángel Azul (melodramas que la dieron a conocer en EE.UU. en 1930) le abrió el camino al estrellato. Dietrich pulió su magnética imagen pública en los seis filmes que realizó con su mentor, el director Josef von Sternberg, e impuso su formidable presencia incluso en películas mediocres.
Fue con Von Sternberg que Dietrich empezó a llevar al estudio un espejo de cuerpo entero para comprobar la iluminación y su apariencia ante las cámaras. Esto continuó en sus sesiones fotográficas con George Hurrell. Ella colocaba el espejo lo más cerca posible de la cámara para poder llegar a su pose deseada antes del “clic” del obturador. Hurrell recordó que él aportaba poco en estas sesiones: “Esas poses sensuales, voluptuosas, eran en su mayoría creación de ella”.
Credit Line
National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution; acquired in part through the generosity of an anonymous donor
Date
1937
Object number
NPG.2022.44
Restrictions & Rights
Usage conditions apply
Type
Photograph
Medium
Gelatin silver print
Dimensions
Image: 34.3 × 27 cm (13 1/2 × 10 5/8")
Sheet: 35.3 × 27.8 cm (13 7/8 × 10 15/16")
Mount: 50.6 × 37.9 cm (19 15/16 × 14 15/16")
See more items in
National Portrait Gallery Collection
Exhibition
Star Power: Photographs from Hollywood’s Golden Age by George Hurrell
On View
NPG, South Gallery 120
Data Source
National Portrait Gallery
Topic
Costume\Headgear\Headdress
Interior
Costume\Jewelry\Bracelet
Costume\Dress Accessory\Feather
Marlene Dietrich: Female
Marlene Dietrich: Arts and Culture\Performing Arts\Theater\Stage actor
Marlene Dietrich: Arts and Culture\Performing Arts\Film\Movie actor
Marlene Dietrich: Arts and Culture\Performing Arts\Music\Musician\Violinist
Marlene Dietrich: Civilian awards\Presidential Medal of Freedom
Portrait
Link to Original Record
Record ID
npg_NPG.2022.44