Diane Arbus

Burlesque comedienne in her dressing room, Atlantic City, N.J. 1963

About this artwork

The subject in this portrait does not seem to fit with the caption Arbus has given to the picture. The "comedienne’s" face is distinctive in its lack of amusement: her painted-on cupid’s bow lips are set in a frown that is accentuated by her thickly-pencilled arched eyebrows. It is difficult to imagine her telling a joke. The girlish blonde ringlets, ribbon necktie and frilled sleeves all seem out of keeping with her face, which reveals her expression of displeasure and her age. As in the photograph of the 'Topless Dancer in her Dressing Room 1968', Arbus here draws attention to the performer’s surroundings – the peeling plaster, concrete floor, makeshift mirrors and overflowing bin suggest that this wasn’t the glamorous life she may have hoped for when she started out.

Updated before 2020

  • artist:
    Diane Arbus (1923 - 1971) American
  • title:
    Burlesque comedienne in her dressing room, Atlantic City, N.J. 1963
  • date created:
    1963; printed after 1971
  • materials:
    Gelatin silver print on paper
  • measurements:
    37.00 x 37.30 cm (framed: 61.90 x 62.00 x 1.90 cm)
  • object type:
  • credit line:
    ARTIST ROOMS National Galleries of Scotland and Tate. Acquired jointly through The d'Offay Donation with assistance from the National Heritage Memorial Fund and Art Fund, 2008
  • accession number:
    AR00528
  • gallery:
This artwork is part of Artist Rooms
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Diane Arbus

Diane Arbus