Louise Brooks with bust of Dante Alighieri
Warner Bros. Publicity Photograph for GOD'S GIFT TO WOMEN
1931 · Hollywood, California

“Worldly fame is but a breath of wind that blows now this way, and now that, and changes name as it changes direction.” -Dante
A chastened Louise awaits her imminent banishment to the particular circle of hell reserved for stubborn, haughty actresses. She seems already to be in mourning for her lost vogue in this stunning photograph, and despite the prop's stinging relevance now, there does not appear to be any deliberate underlying comment relating to Brooks's then unsteady career. Dante certainly had nothing to do with GOD'S GIFT TO WOMEN, either.