Model Legs with High Heel.

Return to Gallery Previous Drawing Next Drawing

Lisa's(?) Legs with High Heel. Pencil on paper. 7 by 9 ½. 2003. From an often reproduced photo by Fernand Fonssagrives.

"Lisa's(?) Legs ..., then titled, "Model Legs ..." was exhibited on an earlier version of faultlinestudio.com wherein I admitted that this drawing was about as close to true plagiarism as I have ever come. After some time I received an email from Marc Fonssagrives:

"Hello, F. Fonssagrives was my father. I came across your web page. Don't worry I'm not upset. I just wanted to fill any info in for you if you wanted. Thanks, Marc Fonssagrives."

I sent Marc a thank-you and admitted I didn't really know much about F. F., just liked the photo. M. F. then answered:

"I don't know who the model was, but I do know that she was taking a break and knelt down. My father saw her like that and took the picture. The rest of her body was shaded by hand while the photo print was being exposed. Don't know how much you know about photography. So I'll hit the basic concept." (There followed a rambling exposition on dodge and burn darkroom work.)

Despite M. F.'s assertions, I don't believe F. F. just snapped the shot. I suppose he posed it very carefully to facilitate whatever darkroom work might be needed to deprive the leggy model of the rest of herself. As I recall from watching my mother in her darkroom, dodging to a hard line was a tricky business. She had a collection of little paddles, "vignettes," and masks just for the purpose.

Actually, the most interesting thing about the original Fonssagrives photo, and what I expect caught his eye, is the pattern made by her fish-net stockings that gave a remarkable fullness to the model's calves and thighs.

Well, that's surely more than you wanted to know about F. F., M. F., my mother or L.(?) F.

PS: Fernand’s wife, 1935-1050, was Lisa Anderson Fonssagrives. Lisa was the first “supermodel”—on the cover of Vogue many times! Even on the cover of TIME. Was Lisa the “legs” of Fernand’s Photo?