Art buffs and admirers of the female form gathered for a signing of the new photographic tome Guenter Knop on Women at a fete at Brasserie Julien hosted by chef/owner Philippe Feret and his wife, Cecilia, long-time pals of Knop. The effervescent photog left Germany 25 years ago to work with world-renowned art director Henry Wolf. Eight years later, the photogra-pher branched out on his own to do his life’s work—unique photographic studies that celebrate the calm beauty, femininity, and individuality of the female body.

Knop’s new photographic work includes female nudes posed in dramatic lighting against the backdrop of geometric lines and architectural elegance. There are also comments from 16 fellow artists, friends, and critics. “The respect that Knop has for his models, and his total lack of an exploitative motive, succeed in making the women appear comfortable and uninhibited in front of his camera,” writes artist Susan Unterberg. Pal Sydney Biddle Barrows notes: “Using shadow and light and juxtaposing the soft, sensuous figures of his models with hard, linear architectural objects, Guenter Knop creates living sculptures that capture and celebrate the beauty of the female form.” A book about women, for women, that celebrates their essence….