For their winter issue, Paper magazine set out to “break the internet” with the help of Kim Kardashian. Given that they managed to rack up over five and a half million search results for “Kim Kardashian Paper Magazine” in less than 24 hours, it seems like they did alright. Our angle on this? The maestro behind the
much-maligned,
much-appreciated shot is the French contemporary photographer and designer,
Jean-Paul Goude.
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| See the shot that inspired Kim Kardashian’s Paper Magazine cover |
For the Paper cover, Goude re-created what is arguably his most famous shot, “
Carolina Beaumont, New York, 1976” (below left). Often referred to as “Champagne Incident,” Goude’s picture is characteristic of the artist’s playful, winking approach to sexuality. The French-born Goude began his career in magazines — he served as art director for Esquire during the ’70s — and later stepped behind the lens to create frank, colorful images that flirted with the boundary between fine art and advertising.
In fact, “Carolina Beaumont” comes from an eight-page Esquire editorial entitled “The French Connection” that aimed — in the pre-Photoshop era — to explore the changing standards of beauty vis-a-vis physical proportions. Obviously, the conversation is still happening today.
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| The more things change, the more they stay the same. |
We’re fans of both images, and appreciate any occasion to surface the name of a deserving talent. Luckily, Goude’s
original image is available on 1stdibs from dealer
Hasted Kraeutler. Shop it now. For Kim’s version, hit your local newsstand — or just visit the now-broken Internet.
