Red Genitals 1946

Hans Bellmer made this photograph, “Red Genitals,” sometime during his lifetime. It’s interesting, isn't it? I think it’s a photograph? The hands, framing the vulva, almost look like they have been painted with nail varnish. I bet that Bellmer might have worked on it quite a bit. Maybe touched it up by hand, using layers of paint to adjust the tonality and texture and to emphasize the erotic and surreal qualities of the image. I wonder if Bellmer was aiming to capture something hidden or taboo? He made lots of doll-like figures, and the photograph reminds me of that. Maybe Bellmer wanted us to reflect on the relationship between sexuality, representation, and the body. I bet he was trying to create something unsettling that could challenge our assumptions about beauty and desire. Ultimately, what Bellmer was trying to achieve remains elusive, perhaps that was his intention!