“Saddle I, Paris (at the Hotel Lancaster), 1976,” Helmut Newton

Earlier this week, I was talking with a friend about erotic photography, and remembered Helmut Newton. I used to be very into art and art history when I was younger, and Helmut Newton was, and still is, my favorite photographer.

Newton loved women, especially their power as it related to their sexuality. He often posed his subjects in BDSM-tinged scenes, and tended to highlight women’s’ curves. On charges that his work made him a chauvinist, he countered that he was a feminist. He might been one of the first vocal supporters of sex-positive feminism, years before it was cool.

The above photo is one of his most famous photographs. It was taken in 1976 in Paris, as part of his “Sleepless Nights” series, and created in 1984 as a gelatin silver print. It caused a scandal at the time, but since has taken its place in the 20th century canon.