Laure Albin Guillot French, 1879-1962

"Laure Albin Guillot is the only one, aside from the mythological nudes of Narcissus, to depict male nudes outside the context of sports or naturism. For many at the time, it seemed strange that a respectable fifty-five-year-old lady would photograph young men. 'This Narcissus, it's quite a story. Of course, I needed a male model, so I called in candidates. Quite a few came, but when I told them, 'Undress,' there was a certain chill. Finally, I discovered the rare bird and set off with him to do my work at the coal mill... The kind gardener who looks after the property was quite surprised to see me arrive with this stranger. But his amazement reached great proportions when he saw the model undress and walk naked on the lawns."

Excerpt from 'Laure Albin Guillot or the Will to Art,' Christian Bouqueret, Marval 1997, p.17."