Girls in the Windows, New York City, 1960 Photo Print 12x12"

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Through the years, Gigli shot Sophia Loren, Anita Ekberg, John F. Kennedy, Gina Lollabrigida, Diana Vreeland, Marlene Dietrich, Judy Garland, Louis Armstrong, Laurence Olivier, Alan Bates, and Richard Burton among others. Fine art photography makes an ideal gift for friends, relatives, and family. Indeed, offering a photo is not just making a present of an object but opening a window on r...

In addition to the photograph’s artistic merits, “Girls in the Windows” has also become an influential piece in fashion photography. The image’s stylish subjects, dressed in eye-catching outfits, have inspired countless fashion editorials and campaigns, showcasing the timeless appeal of Gigli’s vision. His career took off in 1952. He was working at this moment for the Rapho photo agency, when a LIFE editor enlisted him to do a series of celebrity portraits in replacement of Robert CAPA. This very same year LIFE assigned Ormond GIGLI t... Assembling the 43 women for the photograph was no small feat. Gigli sought models, actresses, and even his wife to participate in the shoot. Each woman was dressed in elegant, colorful attire, highlighting the diverse beauty and charm of New York City’s inhabitants. Gigli’s attention to detail and eye for aesthetics ensured the women complimented the brownstones’ classic architecture, resulting in a stunning and harmonious composition.Girls in the Windows”, 1960 is an image not only about beauty, fashion and the ingenious orchestration of 43 women standing at the windows and on the sidewalk, some daringly climbing onto the window sills. It is also a slice of time in history, as it captures a row of three classic New York Brownstones, which were demolished the day after the shoot. Gigli, who lived across the street, wanted to immortalize the buildings and thus envisioned the photograph. His meticulous planning and direction resulted in a dramatically compelling and memorable artwork. Most professional photographers dream of having one signature picture they are known for. “Girls in the Windows” is mine. Gigli was born in New York City in 1925. As a teenager, his father offered him his first camera. He graduated from the School of Modern Photography in 1942 and served in the Navy as a photographer during World War II. He spent some time living the bohemian life in Paris. I had a great staff there [at my studio], so I’m discussing it with my studio manager – if we could get the frames out of the windows, we could shoot a girl in each window. So I had my studio manager go to talk the head demolition guy, and he said “yes, but you have to put my wife in the shot!” The richness of the photograph stems from the ability to appreciate it in different ways: either as a whole, as a rhythmic composition of color and form, formed by the pattern of windows, human figures, and colorful dresses; or the viewer is drawn to explore its various parts, each woman presenting a different point of the interesting story (Gigli’s wife is on the second floor, far right and the demolition supervisor’s wife is on the third floor, third from left).

In the end, Ormond gathered 43 women clad in their best formal wear and no two figures looked exactly alike; the posture and outfit each woman assumed alludes to what her personality might be like outside the confines of the photograph. We have had the opportunity of exhibiting this photograph in its different sizes over many years – and ask ourselves why it continues to amaze and delight collectors. We could talk about the repetition of forms, its tight structure, its compression of space, seductive use of color and beautiful women gazing out at the camera as reasons that it is a rigorous, well constructed image. Yet, the power and popularity of “The Girls In The Windows” can’t be so easily explained. Ormond Gigli – Demolition begins at what is now 320 East 58th Street, New York, 1960 “Girls in the Windows” Over the YearsThe photograph’s popularity and enduring appeal can be attributed to its unique composition, captivating colors, and intriguing stories of the women in the windows. The image has become a symbol of the city’s resilience and vibrancy, showcasing the diversity and strength of its inhabitants. “Girls in the Windows” has been exhibited in galleries and museums worldwide, solidifying its status as a classic work of art. I have a big print of it up on my wall. I still smile whenever I look at it, even after all these years. Not bad. CV Gifting fine art photography for birthdays or parties is an original and thoughtful idea. Art, in addition to being a gift of quality, imperishable and poetic, adapts to everyone. The GADCOLLECTION Gallery offers a wide choice of original art photographs, numbered and signed by the artists, to be found here .

He reached out to a modeling agency that he had worked for, and asked for models to volunteer to be in his ‘dream’ picture. They were to wear what they wanted and show up over the lunch hour.

Perched from the fire escape of his studio, he was able to capture action happening across five floors. The final product proved to be something surreal, reducing the living, breathing women to brightly colored toys in a doll house.