Did you miss Jessica Chastain? Were you expecting her to land a Vogue cover any time soon? Well, here she is! Looking back at us from a very artistically photographed Vogue December 2013 cover!
Annie Leibovitz authored this stunning pictorial and, of course, Grace Coddington styled it. The wonderful makeup job belongs to Diane Kendall while the hair was shaped by – who else? – Julien D’Ys.
I mentioned something about fashion as an art, yesterday, when I talked about Claire Danes and her Interview. How about fashion in art? Reenacting classic art with a little help from the beautiful Jessica Chastain and the Vogue US team? Click through to see 9 classic paintings and photographs that were the source of inspiration for the American Vogue’s December 2013 cover story pictorial!
{8} Sir Frederic Leighton Flaming June (1895)
While the cover doesn’t produce the kind of festive emotion you’d expect from the end-of-the-year issue, it surely is a catchy aesthetic move. The sunny yellow dress is Theory by Theyskens, a surprising choice in itself, given the dark and straight cut designs Theyskens usually provides in his collections.
{7} Henri Matisse Odalisque with Red Cullottes (1921)
The reversed splendor captured by Annie Leibovitz is again, a show stealing move. Nor the cover picture, neither this one, opening the Screen Siren ‘Work of Art’ portfolio keep the focus on Jessica Chastain. The fashion trick inserted in the interpretation of Matisse’s Odalisque seems to be indicating more in the gown’s direction. Signed by Marc Jacobs, the dress was presented on the Spring 2014 catwalk.
{6} Felix Valloton Le Retour de la Mer (1924)
Red hair, perfectly contrasting green eyes and porcelain complexion, Jessica Chastain looks like she inspired the painting herself, not the other way around. Of course, we have Grace Coddington to thank for the brilliant choices! The blue silky dress is from Alexander Wang.
{5} Anders Zorn Frances Folsom Cleveland (1899)
Another bet on Jessica Chastain’s natural features. The pale, dramatic beauty accentuated by the ivory Oscar de la Renta gown shows a slightly romanticized angle of Anders Zorn’s portrait, again, Grace Coddington’s genius at work, taking away the original painting’s matronly attitude.
{4} Gustav Klimt Portrait of Ria Munk III (1918)
You have to love Jessica and her many expressions! Going from strong to fragile in just a layer of a dress! Vera Wang’s hand-painted gown makes a perfectly romantic transition from Klimt’s canvas to modern reality. Unparalleled match to Annie Leibovitz’ photographic style.
{3} Vincent Van Gogh La Mousmé (1888)
Pairing Van Gogh’s genius to a vintage Alexander McQueen dress seems a marriage made in all arts Heaven. Add Jessica Chastain to the soup and we’ve got ourselves a flawless example of fashion inspiration! Everything is popping out of that photo, everything works together but oh-so-individually! Everything is charming!
{2} Julia Margaret Cameron Photography
subjects Jessica Chastain to a blurry black and white treatment that keeps on celebrating her physical advantages and her dramatic repertoire. Undoubtedly rigorous as a person, Miss Chastain looks cut out to impersonate the strength and the story of a past era. Sustaining the off-beat inspiration, she’s wearing a gray smoked dress from Bad of Outsiders.
{1} René Magritte La Robe du Soir (1955)
Both the most recent and the last work of art to inspire this amazing pictorial, Magritte’s painting with a redhead update seems even more striking than the original dark wavy mane from the original canvas. Oh, and for the occasion, Jessica Chastain wore a fancy pair of red hair extensions from Renato Campora, masterfully arranged by Julien D’Ys with a little help from the Photoshop retouch team.
And talking about retouching – of course there were many, but just like art, there are some acceptable grounds for that, even in fashion. I’ve been waiting for a Vogue moment to be offered to Jessica Chastain from ‘The Help’ days. I was ready to think she would be forever snubbed by Anna Wintour even though the Blake Livelys and the Kate Uptons of the world are evidently more Vogue-worthy.
Thankfully, every now and then, the exception comes along, and oh, my! what a masterful exception this was! I managed to get over the regret of not seeing an entirely Xmassy issue and I absolutely loved that almost every single dress was as hard to find as the rare art gems that inspired the photo-story itself! (previews from this issue were made available by vogue online)
3 comments
This is a magnificent work. I particularly like picture 6, with the blue dress.
I really like Jessica Chastain, she is so talented ! And this painting inspired fashion shoot is just simply stellar! If they are going to use actors rather than models for fashion shoots I really love that they are doing creative and esthetically lovely things like this, and it may get people interested in the original art and maybe they will go to an art museum! : )
Nothing to add. Well said Ellington. :)
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