Jacques Henric defends Nouvel Obs' Beauvoir nude photo cover
In an editorial for art press, Jacques Henric defends the Nouvel Observateur's decision to publish a nude photo of Simone de Beauvoir on its cover, taken by Art Shay in a Chicago bathroom. Henric argues that the outrage is hypocritical, given Beauvoir's own detailed accounts of her private life in memoirs and letters. He criticizes the moral indignation as a form of iconoclasm and puritanism, and suggests that the photo reveals more about Beauvoir's body than any textual description.
Key facts
- Nouvel Observateur published a nude photo of Simone de Beauvoir on its cover
- Photo taken by Art Shay in a Chicago bathroom while Beauvoir was washing
- Beauvoir reportedly smiled and said 'Vilain garçon' when she saw the photographer
- Critics accused the magazine of scandal, mercantilism, and invasion of privacy
- Henric compares the outrage to Beauvoir's own public writings about her and Sartre's private lives
- Henric suggests the photo provides more insight into Beauvoir's body than textual descriptions
- The editorial appears in art press issue n°343 (March 2008)
- Henric references Daniel Schneidermann's criticism in Libération about photo manipulation
Entities
Artists
- Jacques Henric
- Simone de Beauvoir
- Art Shay
- Daniel Schneidermann
- Danièle Sallenave
Institutions
- art press
- Nouvel Observateur
- Libération
Locations
- Chicago
- United States
Sources
- artpress —