“The snake wound up her body very slowly. Nobody was telling it what to do. I could hardly believe what I was seeing. When the snake got to her ear, he kissed her and put out his tongue. Then the shoot was over and I was crying.”
— Polly Mellen, Fashion Editor of US VOGUE

With the Golden Globe-winning actress Nastassja Kinski and celebrated photographer Richard Avedon at the height of their careers, their two-hour long photoshoot created an iconic image that would stand the test of time. The two united in 1981 for a fashion editorial photoshoot commissioned by US VOGUE. It was Kinski herself who proposed incorporating a snake into the shoot, adding a striking element to the images.
The timeless sensuality of the image, alluding to the biblical story of Adam and Eve, is immortalized by Avedon, pushing past the photographer’s comfort zone and into the next stage of creative exploration. Though Kinski’s nude figure is portrayed as beautiful and sensual, it is evident that she herself absolutely holds this power—stoic and in control, both in front of and behind the lens.
After it had first graced the cover of US VOGUE, the image was quickly transformed into a poster, becoming one of the most reproduced posters in history. This work is not a poster but a rare photograph with a limited edition of 200, other example of which is included in the collection of The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, USA.