The Art History Version Of “you’d Look Prettier If You Smiled More”

kevin hense

Read the rest on twitter... or below the cut:

Motörhead, super-cool promo pic from Ace Of Spades era, 1980

US Elevation.

by @cstats1

I have crossed oceans of time to find you.

what I really like about all these vintage couple’s portraits is that there is a very certain romatic decorum kept up – certain themes and poses – which, while of course being the mainstream preferred view of couples repeated throughout many studios, are just… so nice to look at. 

this staged affection, a mix of theatricality and intimacy, the couple holding still for a couple of moments and now immortalised in a very set sequence of embraces and kisses. there is a charm to it even when I can’t tell whether this was a genuine couple portait or just actors hired by the photographer.

the kiss on the bare shoulder (eyes perfectly averted), the cheek caress, the piano and the violin, the interrupted embrace, the woman tilted back as in a half-stopped dance…

heading toward the ancient armenian city of Ani - april 2014 (9/??)