I am moved to tears by the death of Bettie Page. Even if you do not recognize her name, chances are you’ve seen her image at some point: her rich, black hair with bangs cut to the brow, her intense, piercing eyes, her muscular, curvy torso, and those legs! Ms. Page is probably the most recognizable of the classic pin-up models, but she is not just some pretty face.

I first saw her portraits when a friend developed an interest in Vargas girls and the art of Olivia. There is no way to miss Page in one’s exploration of pin-up art – the sheer number of her images ensure that. But it is her unmistakable presence that captivates the imagination: as if, by some powerful vibration, she could speak to you from a printed page.

While the feminist movement was embracing a masculine type of strength to prove women were equal to men, Page displayed a power that was uniquely feminine, but definitely not soft. She was the embodiment of the Wild Woman archetype: uncontained, untamed, and unashamed. Even in a submissive role, she maintained unquestionable power and self-confidence.

Her body itself is a testament to feminine power. In nearly every pose, her sculpted muscles rolled like mighty hills. She was curvy and fit; her body was strong, but supple. Unlike the many overly-thin models prevalent today, her figure did not resemble skin stretched over depleted bones. To gaze upon Page is to contemplate a Greek statue!

Much of her work is blatantly sexual. There is artistry in her eroticism that comes only from a deep awareness and respect of one’s sensuality. While many religions and philosophies advocate moving away from worldly experiences, Page’s work explores sensation to its depths. The prize is a deeply-rooted understanding of one’s desires, capacities and motivations.

Admittedly, I know very little about her biography, it is the icon Bettie Page of which I speak. It is the archetype she embodies which captures the imagination and personifies true feminine strength that, although it is continually squashed, boils like lava at the earth’s core. More than any Oprah or Celine Dion or Martha Stewart, Bettie Page is a role model to women. May we all inherit her legacy now that she has passed.

---Christina “Magdalene” Kadlec

For more on Bettie Page, visit www.bettiepage.com