The Roots of the Patterns

In the Vogue Italia appeared in December 2007 the famous editorial "Patterns" by Steven Meisel. Meisel received a lot of praise and acclaimation for these really breathtaking photos.

But what was unfortunately never mentioned, at least as far as I know, is how much this famous editorial is influenced by the paintings of the Japanese fantasy artist Yoshitaka Amano.


I’m a great admirer of Meisel’s work but: Honor to whom honor is due!

Skoda quotes Art Nouveau

In its latest ad campaign the Czech automobile manufacturer quotes the famous Art Nouveau artist Alphonse Mucha.
Nothing wrong with that, because Mucha himself did a lot of advertising.

Skoda Ad

Mucha Original

Matrix Television

Here Samsung pretends that their new LCD TV is inspired by art. And indeed it is, ad least the ad, which is quoting the Matrix films.

Foam-arisen Venus

This ad for a L.A.M.B. Fragrance is another interpretation of good old Venus or Aphrodite arising of the sea foam. Maybe there are countless paintings of this subject here only one example.

Shoe Still Lifes

This impressive ad campaign for Christian Louboutin was shot by the American photographer Peter Lippmann. He arranged every picture so that they emulated classic still life paintings from the 17th and 18th century.

Gentlemen Prefer Blondes

This ad for a PETA animal rights campaign is quoting the famous film "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes" (1953), modifying the title into "Gentlemen Prefer Fur Free Blondes."

Odalisques

Kate Moss in a hammam by Mert Alas and Marcus Piggott. She’s posing in that Turkish bath like the famous odalisques on the 19th century paintings. Like for example this one by the French painter Jean Léon Gérôme.
Probably needless to mention, that this kind of women were more an invention of European fantasies.

Cool Art Deco

It’s obvious that Steven Meisel has a strong affection to the cool design of the Art Deco era. This great editorial "Dinner at Eight" was published in the Vogue Italia in May 2008.

In my humble opinion it reflects not only the style of the 1930s, but it’s also quoting the paintings by Tamara de Lempicka.

Little Mermaid

This ad for Hermès was done by the Italian fashion photographer Paolo Roversi. Without any doubt it’s quoting the statue of The Little Mermaid sitting on a rock in the harbor of the Copenhagen.

Attack of the 50 Foot Woman

I think that it was kind of advertising campaign for shoes realized by the renowned British photographer Miles Aldridge. Published New York Times Magazine in 2006.

With his typical irony Aldridge is quoting the old American science fiction film "Attack of the 50 Foot Woman".

Patriotic Pinups

This famous series with the Brazilian supermodel Gisele Bündchen was done by David LaChapelle for George Magazine in June 2000. It reminds a lot of the old patriotic World War II pinups.

like this by Billy de Vorss

or "At Your Command" by Earl MacPherson

Secret Agent

This series of Bond girl Olga Kurylenko is by Ellen von Unwerth.

Maybe Unwerth was also thinking of the Bond films, but I believe she had more the female secret agents of the sixties in mind like Modesty Blaise, Emma Peel. But anyway it would have been retro like Bond himself.

Madame X

This photo of Nicole Kidman appeared in June 1999 in Vogue.

Steven Meisel presented her as a modern version of the famous Madame X by the American painter John Singer Sargent (1856–1925).

Call of the Wild

Naomi Campbell by the famous photographer David LaChapelle.

To me it looks like a quotation of the paintings by the French Post-Impressionist painter Henri Julien Félix Rousseau (1844–1910).