Charis Wilson, who died on Friday at age 95, met legendary 20th century photographer Edward Weston when she was 19 and he 48. Their intense relationship – both personal and professional, as she acted as his wife, model, writer, companion, and chauffeur – lasted until 1945, when she left him after his health and patience deteriorated. Charis (pronounced CARE-iss) was certainly more than a static muse for Weston; her literary talents helped secure him a Guggenheim Fellowship in 1937 (the first photographer to win a grant), as well as a lasting legacy on the page in her memoir Through Another Lens. Weston/Wilson’s iconic nude portraits after the jump, plus a peek into a documentary profiling the duo through Wilson’s eyes.
