Barbie Doll

What you see here is a faithful reproduction of an early 1960 model of Barbie Babe, a "solo in the spotlight statue skillfully hand-painted to capture every nuance of the beauty and timeless appeal of Barbie Babe. All the memorable details of the original Barbie Babe gown are captured to perfection - from the bright rose to the glitter of her dress." And a thirty-nine-inch bust. Barbie Babe had her first face lift in 1967. At this time she acquired a rotating waist and girls who traded the old fashioned models for the new "twist-n-turn" models were given a discount. The idea of "dynamic obsolescence" by car designer Harley Earl was now introduced to doll bodies. Because Barbie Babe has been copyrighted as a work of art, we can examine her from an art history perspective and take a close-up look at her gorgeous body, which has remained basically unaltered since her conception in the late fifties. Barbie Babe's most significant change came in 1971 as a result of the sexual revolution and the feminist movement. From a submissive and cast down glaze that has characterized female nudes, especially of an erotic nature, from the Renaissance until the 19th century, Barbie in her "Malibu" incarnation is sexual and unashamed and looks straight ahead. Manet's Olympia was way ahead of her time. Barbie's boyfriend Ken was hatched by the manufacturer in 1961 and provided her with a much needed male consort. Unfortunately, many young female collectors had numerous Barbie Babes, which suggested a polygamous relationship and a much more extended Ken.