Untitled Film Still #40 1979

Cindy Sherman's "Untitled Film Still #40" (1979) is a striking black and white photograph that belongs to her iconic series exploring female identity and representation in film. The image depicts Sherman, posing as a woman in a classic 1930s dress and hat, sitting on a wall with a pensive expression. Her staged pose evokes the archetypal "film noir" femme fatale, yet Sherman's deliberate flatness and detachment challenge the traditional male gaze. This series, consisting of over 70 photographs, is a masterful commentary on the construction of feminine archetypes in popular culture, while pushing the boundaries of photography as a medium.