Mae West

1965, printed 1985
Silver Gelatin Photograph
14.5
x
14.75
in

Diane Arbus Photograph stamp with Doon Arbus’ signature, the title, print date, printer’s credit, and edition notation of 75 in ink, as well as the Estate Copyright and reproduction limitation stamps, on verso.


In 1965, renowned photographer Diane Arbus captured a series of intimate portraits of Mae West, the iconic actress and sex symbol of early Hollywood. One notable photograph from this series depicts West in her Santa Monica bedroom, adorned in a fur-lined robe, her hair impeccably styled, as she stretches by her bed. This image exemplifies Arbus’s distinctive approach to portraiture, revealing the private side of a public figure and highlighting the contrast between West’s glamorous persona and her personal reality.

The photograph is part of the collections of prestigious institutions, including The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York and The Getty Museum in Los Angeles.