Fine Art Fetish Friday: Celebrity Edition

The current obsession with unclad or scantily clad celebrities is far from a modern phenomenon. The public has always been interested in the secrets of their celebrity idols. And even a century ago, there was plenty to see.

These are images of the silent film star Louise Brooks, presumably from before she became a star. She didn’t want them released at the time, but also lived a life that was very sexually free, having openly had relationships with both men and women. She was famous for her “black helmet” of bobbed hair and survived until the 1980s. She was an inspiration for Liza Minneli’s character, and appearance, in Cabaret.