Michel Pinel (1949 - 2022 ) - The Waiting - 1983 - Signed -

Michel Pinel (1949 – 2022)


Title: The Waiting - 1983

Original silver gelatin print – Black and white


Dimensions: 30cm x 24cm

Condition: Excellent


Authenticity: Hand-signed by the artist, with studio stamp.

Provenance: From the family collection of the photographer

Description of the Photograph

Taken in 1983, The Waiting marks a mature phase in Michel Pinel’s exploration of psychological tension and staged intimacy. The photograph presents a woman seated in an armchair within a meticulously arranged room — a setting that evokes both elegance and unease. Dressed in stockings, heels, and gloves, she gazes directly at the viewer, her poised yet guarded expression suggesting a narrative suspended in time.

The composition is carefully constructed: the diagonal lines of the furniture and the receding perspective of the room draw the eye toward the figure, who becomes both subject and anchor of the scene. The interplay of textures — the softness of fabric, the sheen of leather, the patterned carpet — heightens the tactile quality of the image while reinforcing its atmosphere of controlled sensuality.

Pinel’s use of black and white lends a cinematic depth to the photograph. The lighting, crisp yet diffused, isolates the figure in a halo of quiet tension, transforming the ordinary interior into a stage of introspection and desire. The Waiting captures the essence of suspended emotion — a moment poised between anticipation and resignation — and exemplifies Pinel’s ability to merge psychological nuance with formal precision.

Artist Biography

Born in 1949, Michel Pinel discovered photography in Milan under the guidance of director Paul Casalini, who introduced him to the medium and inspired his lifelong passion. He began his career in fashion photography, quickly developing a distinctive style characterized by technical rigor and a pursuit of purity in image-making.
Pinel’s artistic focus gradually shifted toward the nude, a subject he explored with sensitivity and elegance. His silver gelatin prints, meticulously crafted in his studio, are renowned for their exceptional quality.
Internationally recognized, his works have been exhibited widely and are housed in private collections across Australia, Belgium, Spain, France, Great Britain, Hungary, Israel, Italy, Canada, Japan, the Netherlands, Portugal, and the United States.