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George Platt Lynes — Christopher Isherwood with Harvey Young
George Platt Lynes — Christopher Isherwood with Harvey Young
George Platt Lynes

Christopher Isherwood with Harvey Young

This black and white photograph presents a formally dressed man in a suit and tie standing beside a classical male nude sculpture against a wooden paneled wall. The composition creates an intriguing juxtaposition between the clothed figure and the idealized nude form, playing with themes of desire, admiration, and the relationship between viewer and viewed. The photograph exemplifies mid twentieth century portrait practice, employing dramatic lighting and spatial arrangement to create psychological tension. As a work by George Platt Lynes, a pioneering photographer known for his intimate documentation of artistic and literary circles, this image reflects the artist's sophisticated engagement with homoerotic imagery and his celebration of male beauty within modernist aesthetic frameworks.

Medium
Christopher Isherwood with Harvey Young
Overall

Notes

A Ménage with George Platt Lynes, Rago Auctions, 2026-05-01. Lot 163. Inscribed to verso 'MW Christopher Isherwood with Harvey Young' with collector's stamp.

🔨 Auction Lot

A Ménage with George Platt Lynes

May 1, 2026

Estimate: $800$1,200

Sold: $3,192

Lot 163

For Sale

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About this work

George Platt Lynes, Christopher Isherwood with Harvey Young

This black and white photograph presents a formally dressed man in a suit and tie standing beside a classical male nude sculpture against a wooden paneled wall. The composition creates an intriguing juxtaposition between the clothed figure and the idealized nude form, playing with themes of desire, admiration, and the relationship between viewer and viewed. The photograph exemplifies mid twentieth century portrait practice, employing dramatic lighting and spatial arrangement to create psychological tension. As a work by George Platt Lynes, a pioneering photographer known for his intimate documentation of artistic and literary circles, this image reflects the artist's sophisticated engagement with homoerotic imagery and his celebration of male beauty within modernist aesthetic frameworks.

Medium
Christopher Isherwood with Harvey Young
Dimensions
overall: 24.4 x 18.4 cm
Seen at
Rago Auctions, Lambertville, United States

Related themes

Classical Sculpture, Studio Photography, Aesthetic Idealism, Wooden Interior, Juxtaposition, Male Nude, Modernism, Literary Figures, Male Gaze, Twentieth Century Art, Desire and Beauty, Formal Dress, Figurative Study, Psychological Tension, Homoeroticism, Portrait Photography, Sculptural Reference, Mid Century Photography, Artistic Circles

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George Hoyningen-Huene, Horst P. Horst, Herbert List

Collected by

Jonathan Murray, Alex Capecelatro