Following up on yesterday’s theme of “The Seductress” I’d like to discuss today Richard Avedon‘s, “Nastassja Kinski and the Serpent, 1981.” And I will admit that this is, in fact, one of my favorite photographs.  Avedon was one of the twentieth century’s greatest portrait and fashion photographers. Kinski remains one of the world’s most beautiful women, and their collaboration in this work is truly electrifying.

The woman and the serpent is, of course, Eve and the serpent.  The goddess and the serpent goes way back in classical art and mythology.  The double serpent entwined around the stick or tree is the caduceus, (Hermes’ mthic staff) which is the symbol of the medical profession.  You will recall that Moses turned his staff into a serpent before the pharaoh. And there is a significant example of the artistic image in Michelangelo Sistine chapel, where the serpent beguiles Eve and “tricks” her and Adam into eating an apple of the tree of knowledge, leading to their expulsion from the Garden of Eden. In that regard Avedon is not simply creating a powerfully sexy image, but rather is carrying on in a long and classical tradition.

A colleague of mine had this image on the wall in his lab for many years.  I must suppose it was the classical references that he found so appealing.  There are some interesting links to follow: an interview with Avedon about the photoshoot and a 2005 satire by Mike Ruiz of the image with Miss Piggy taking Kinski’s place.  From the interview we learn an important lesson that creating such a remarkable portrait is a matter of collaboration between artist and subject and requires more than a little serendipity.