Mirror of Venus by Wingate Paine Francoise Sagan Federico Fellini Photography

Wingate Paine, 1915 – 1987, was a member of a Mayflower New England family with ties to law, banking and the ministry. He broke from those traditions and became a Marine captain, connoisseur of French wine, devotee of Hatha-Yoga and finally a gifted photographer and filmmaker. Described as his “visual valentine to feminine beauty,” Paine’s series of female nudes were published in his 1967 book Mirror of Venus. This 1960s classic was printed in ten editions and features text written by Federico Fellini and Françoise Sagan. Paine later abandoned photography for sculpture. Mirror of Venus represents the culmination of his photographic career. See also Christie's Fine Photobooks auction ...

Voluminous and Billowing: Wingate Paine

Mirror of Venus by Wingate Paine Francoise Sagan Federico Fellini Photography

Wingate Paine, 1915 – 1987, was a member of a Mayflower New England family with ties to law, banking and the ministry. He broke from those traditions and became a Marine captain, connoisseur of French wine, devotee of Hatha-Yoga and finally a gifted photographer and filmmaker. Described as his “visual valentine to feminine beauty,” Paine’s series of female nudes were published in his 1967 book Mirror of Venus. This 1960s classic was printed in ten editions and features text written by Federico Fellini and Françoise Sagan. Paine later abandoned photography for sculpture. Mirror of Venus represents the culmination of his photographic career. See also Christie's Fine Photobooks auction ...

Voluminous and Billowing: Wingate Paine

Mirror of Venus by Wingate Paine 1967
Wingate Paine was born in 1915, Massachusetts, Boston. He had an unusual career path before he became a photographer. He started as a Marine captain, and then wine connoisseur, a yoga devotee and sometimes Buddhist teacher. After all this, In 1967, he published a book called Mirror of Venus. He used his friends and girlfriends for models, and they are so beautiful, fresh and lively. Text is by Françoise Sagan and Federico Fellini, and translated into several different languages and published all over the world. After Paine published the book, he threw away and burnt all the negatives and became a sculptor.