At the Archive: Robert Andrew Parker's "Erich von Stroheim"

Robert Andrew Parker, "Erich von Stroheim" (1999)

This is the first post in a new series called “At the Archive,” in which I visit The New Yorker’s vast online archive in search of intriguing articles and images. If something catches my eye, I’ll dust it off, hold it up to the light, and say why it appeals to me. Today’s find is Robert Andrew Parker’s portrait of Erich von Stroheim (“Goings On About Town,” July 5, 1999). Parker is one of my favorite New Yorker illustrators. His work regularly appeared in the magazine back in the late nineties and early aughts. I relish this von Stroheim picture for its luminosity and saturated color. I’m not sure what movie it’s based on. From the stars on the collar, I’m guessing it’s Blind Husbands (1918) – von Stroheim’s first film as writer, director, and star.