About “Dan & Fred, shower from the body shop series”
“Dan & Fred, Shower” by Herb Ritts is a sensual and powerful image from his acclaimed The Body Shop series. Taken in 1984, this silver gelatin print measures 47.80 x 38.00 cm (photo) and 50.30 x 40.50 cm (sheet). It is signed, titled, and numbered 9/25, with an embossed copyright stamp on the front.
The composition captures two muscular male figures, one nude, one clothed, under a cascading stream of water. Their posture, intimacy, and tension reveal both tenderness and strength. With water bouncing off their skin and glistening in midair, the moment becomes timeless and visceral.
Herb Ritts Dan & Fred reflects the photographer’s unmatched ability to combine classical beauty with contemporary edge. The photograph is sculptural, almost mythic. Yet it remains rooted in physical realism, lit dramatically to accentuate every contour and curve.
This work exemplifies Ritts’s signature style: clean, minimal, yet emotionally charged. His The Body Shop series was pivotal in redefining how masculinity could be seen—sensual, strong, and raw without compromise.
You can explore more of Ritts’s influence in our internal feature on Masculinity in 1980s Fine Art Photography, or visit HerbRitts.com to learn more about his iconic visual language.
Herb Ritts
Herb Ritts (1952–2002) was a groundbreaking American photographer known for his celebrity portraits, fashion shoots, and intimate studies of the human form. His male nudes, particularly those from The Body Shop, challenged traditional boundaries between eroticism and fine art.
In Dan & Fred, Ritts transforms a casual act—showering—into a visual performance. He uses water as a sculptural element, enhancing the connection between the two men. The result is not just a portrait, but a study in rhythm, tension, and physical poetry.
Ritts’s work appears in major collections, including MoMA and the Getty. Herb Ritts Dan & Fred stands as a perfect example of his legacy: bold, beautiful, and undeniably human.
