More than meets the eye

The picture above is by Gil Elvgren, one of America's principle illustrator and pinup artist from the 1940's, 50's and beyond. Elvgren is respected for his color technique and use of rich brushstrokes. The "Elvgren Girl" comes alive in a way that has become very popular with pinup art collectors today. Elvgren succeeded in combining a certain sweet innocence with a bit of feminine temptation. He always casted his models in a positive, entertaining way. In his illustrations we see the power of feminine beauty in rich color combinations. His models express their sexiness with a strong self-confidence, with class and without being vulgar, much less obscene.

The illustration above shows a professional woman, most likely a photojournalist. She is ready to go on assignment, excited and fearless. Given the time period, since she is working, most likely she is unmarried and independent. However, despite all this power, she doesn't forget her strongest one: the power to seduce. As she carefully lifts up her skirt with the camera, making it look accidental, she is seducing us with her beauty and femininity. In this scenario, the male is challenged on two fronts, both professional and personal. How does he react?