Waterbabies

This stunning mermaid is by the British photographer Zena Holloway, who is famous for her underwater creations. Still I’m thinking that you cannot make photos of mermaids without quoting late 19th century paintings like for example that of the British artist John Collier

The Birth of Venus

The spectacular advert for the new fragrance Alien by Thierry Mugler shows a siren or a goddess in gold. But in my humble opinion it’s mainly influenced by paintings showing the birth of Venus, the best know that by Sandro Botticelli to be seen in the Uffizi Gallery in Florence

Pre-Raphaelite Knights

These photos by Sean Ellis were published in The Face in august 1998.


Maybe they are not quoting but at least they are strongly influenced by Pre-Raphaelite paintings, for example like this by the English painter Sidney Harold Meteyard (1868-1947)

Rhine Daughters

This Advertisement for a Lolita Lempicka fragrance...

is in my opinion more than a little influenced by the Rhine Daughters by the English illustrator Arthur Rackham (1867–1939).

Sexy Pirates

For the Winter campaign 2008 of Agent Provocateur posed Helena Christensen as a sexy pirate.



I don’t think that there is a reference to any particular pirate painting. But the whole series seems to be inspired by the pirate pin ups of the thirties.

Oriental Dreams

In the Vogue Italy appeared in May 2009 this great editorial by Steven Meisel. The Russian model Sasha Pivovarova presented John Galliano’s Spring/Summer collection.


With his photos Meisel refers not only to oriental fashion but rather to oriental paintings of the 19th and early 20th century and above all the famous odalisques by Henri Matisse (1869- 1954).

Maybe Bauhaus

These fantastic photos by the French photographer and designer Serge Lutens probably from the 1980s remind me a lot of the Bauhaus design of the 1920s and 1930s.

Post Apocalyptic Zombies

This Editorial by Steven Meisel was published in the Vogue Italia in 2004.



Despite it’s no quotation of any specific artwork it refers to a lot of post apocalyptic zombie movies. With its dark and morbid atmosphere is it not atypical for the kind of Editorials by Meisel.

Ophelia

In the Dazed & Confused magazine appeared in December 2007 this Ophelia by the fashion photographer Mariano Vivanco.

I don’t think that Vivanco had a special painting in mind when he took this photo. But since the 19th century Ophelia is a popular icon in art. And because of this the images will resemble the most times as this painting may illustrate:

Ophelia (1876) by the French painter Antoine Auguste Ernest Hebert(1817-1908).

Fairies

In 2008 Paris Hilton started the new promo for her fragrance Fairy Dust. There she dressed up as a fairy or as something that she thought may look like one.

But the modern conception how fairies has to look like is strongly influenced by paintings from the 19th century like this one by the British artist John Atkinson Grimshaw (1836-1893).

Spirit of the Night (1879)

Greek Fashion

This picture by the British fashion photographer Clive Arrowsmith reminds of the neo-classicist painting by the British artist John William Godward (1861 –1922).
I don't know if Arrowsmith knows Godward but I suppose that he has seen similar ones (there are a lot in the web and in museums).

Godward: Memories (1891)

Dancing in the Dark

The 2006 advertising spot from Guerlain Perfume with Hilary Swank dancing reminds me in general of late 19th century painting.

Especially of the art of the Spanish painter Luis Ricardo Falero (1851-1896). I don't say that these guys, who made the clip, knew the painting, but they knew that kind of art.

Moonlight Beauties (1880s)

The clip can still be seen at Youtube:

Fantasy Nymphs

As well a strong influence can bee noted in the poster for Opium perfume from2006.

It should be compared with the painting "The Moon Nymph" from 1883 by Luis Ricardo Falero (1851-1896). It's not only using the same light effects and forms it also uses the same fantastic erotic context.

Fascinating Orient

In the British Vogue from July 2005 appeared a series by the photographer Tim Walker called "Lily takes a trip", which is dealing with the fascination of the Orient.

I don't know if Walker knows the painting "Muezzins call to Prayer" (1879)
by the French painter Jean-Léon Gérôme (1824-1904).

But I think so, and therefore I will call it a "Influence".