Yves Saint-Laurent, Sibyl Buck, Paris, October 1995

This portrait of Yves-Saint Laurent in his famous Paris flat, located at rue de Babylone, is a very classical composition and quite typical of Périer with the main character in the background on the left side of the image. The model Sybil Buck, to the right, is wearing an YSL evening gown. This photograph is also a unique testimony to Saint-Laurent’s interior. With the help of interior decorator Jacques Grange, Saint-Laurent gradually acquired Master Paintings from the Twenties with furnishings just as prestigious. The Fernand Léger painting, “Le profil noir” (1928) dominates the room. To the right can be seen a magnificent vase by Jean Dunand (1925). Saint-Laurent mixed these works with Renaissance bronzes, 18th century rococo furniture -- even an Egyptian sarcophagus. After Saint-Laurent’s death, his collection was sold at Christies during a much- publicized 3-day auction that netted $484 million, the largest auction ever held in Europe. Later on, the apartment was sold and today all that remains are photographs of the apartment on rue de Babylone – and this print of Yves Saint-Laurent among his treasured collection.