Sisi laced her corset tightly and her waist measured only 40 cm. She slept in a nightgown soaked in vinegar to stay thin. Raw veal and crushed strawberries were used as a face mask and she bathed in warm olive oil to achieve perfect skin. An anchor adorned her shoulder and she had her long hair braided for hours every day. Sisi was known to be the most beautiful woman in the world. She was the fashion icon and role model of the time. Elisabeth, as her real name was, was Empress of Austria and Queen of Hungary. All her palaces were furnished with gymnasiums and Roman rings and she had carpets and bars in her bedchamber so she could work out straight away in the morning. In the pursuit of perfection, she became a slave to her own beauty. Deeply depressed and unhappy, she suffered from severe eating disorders. When her son the crown prince committed suicide, she withdrew from most of public life and wore black for the rest of her life. In order to be forever remembered for her beauty, she decided at the age of 32 that she would never again sit for portraits or allow herself to be photographed. Sisi was assassinated in 1898 in Geneva. On a walk on her way to a boat, she was attacked by an anarchist who stuck a sharpened needle file into her heart. The empress's tightly laced corset blocked blood flow and she was able to continue to the boat, where she later collapsed. When the corset was loosened, the puncture was discovered and by then the heart had already been drained of blood.

Andreas Lundberg (b. 1973) is a photographer stationed in Stockholm with the world as his field of work. His work can be seen, among other things, in advertising campaigns, magazines and books. Andreas' art photos have been shown at several exhibitions and auctions in recent years. You can find his exclusive fine art prints at melefors.com. All works are sold signed in a limited edition.

"Silent Stories" is an art project created by husband and wife Andreas Lundberg and Annie Vesterdahl Lundberg. Andreas is a photographer with a background in advertising, fashion and documentary photography. Annie is a hairdresser, make-up artist and, in the project, also a stylist. Each piece is inspired by a true story or fate. Andreas and Annie have made their own interpretation of these stories and sometimes they have changed the era and place. The creative process is often long and exciting, a constant search for a story that they can fantasize about and turn into a work of art. Hundreds of sketches that are turned and twisted eventually become a photograph. The art project Silent Stories started in 2016. Each work is signed and numbered in a limited edition. The stories that inspired the photographs are attached to the back of the works.

Technique: Photography
Material: Fine art print
Size: 150 x 115 cm
Edition: 3