This is the Skin - I Love to Touch* by Gil Elvgren

An essential monument of American graphic art, Gil Elvgren revolutionized the way femininity was represented in mass culture. The seductive creation “This is the Skin - I Love to Touch*” enters the pantheon of pin-up works through its theatrical approach to fashion and sensuality. Through this portrait, the genius illustrator offers a true lesson in visual seduction, mixing the humor of an unexpected situation with the elegance of a skillfully orchestrated composition.

Isolated against an immaculate backdrop devoid of any scenery, a buxom young model stares at the viewer with a joyful and complicit expression. Her blonde hair, tied by a discreet bluish ornament, frames a face made up with bright lipstick. She firmly holds a thick black pelisse with shiny reflections around herself, opening it just enough to reveal a flesh-colored bra and garter straps. The posture of her slender legs, enhanced by dark veils and open dark-strapped shoes, gives a coquettish dynamism and charming instability to her silhouette.

The pictorial execution shines through its ability to make the luxurious softness of the coat palpable thanks to rich and textured oil strokes. The exceptional blending of shadows on the body testifies to a rigorous traditional technique at the service of a resolutely popular and timeless art.