Portrait of Princess Natalie PALEY
Photography
Inventory number
2025.5.6.10.PH.CI.C1934.GBDescription
Publicity portrait of Natalie PALEY in costume for the film "The Private Life of Don Juan" (1934). The composition presents a close frontal view of the figure, with the gaze directed intensely toward the viewer, creating a direct and highly controlled studio image. Natalia's hair is arranged in a sleek coiffure drawn back from the forehead, with a decorative ribbon headband tied at the crown, forming a bow and extending into a long trailing element. The facial features are accentuated by pronounced eye makeup, including elongated lashes and defined brows, while the lips are rendered in a darker tone, contributing to the dramatic effect of the portrait.PALEY wears a costume inspired by Spanish dress, composed of a fitted velvet bodice with a wide, scooped neckline trimmed in finely ruched silk. The shoulders are structured and adorned with ornamental elements resembling clustered pom-poms or tasselled appliqués, arranged symmetrically along the epaulettes and adding dimensional texture to the garment.
Natalie PALEY (1905-1981) was a Russian princess, the granddaughter of Tsar Alexander II. She fled the Russian Revolution and went on to establish herself as a model in Paris throughout the 1930s, for Schiaparelli, Chanel, and Vogue. She later appear in French and American films.
Material
Analog photographyOrigin
circa 1934 London, United KingdomDimensions
Length : 20.1 cmHeight : 25.7 cm