Olga Rodionova is a well-known beauty and key player in Moscow’s fashionable jet set. When her husband Sergey, a powerful Russian oligarch, wanted nude portraits made of his wife, he approached Bettina Rheims. The renowned French photographer accepted, albeit with trepidation. But that disappeared when Olga arrived on the first day. “This huge black limo arrived,” recalls Rheims, “and an amazing pair of long, never-ending legs stepped out. She was really pretty and not cheap at all. And she turned out to be very funny and intelligent. Suddenly an obligation turned into something much more interesting.”

Rheims was captivated by Olga’s lust for life, and excited by the challenge of making edgy, arousing and explicit images that would transcend mere pornography. After the initial shoot at Rheims’s country home, Olga’s husband suggested the two women collaborate on a book, with Olga as its star. A second shoot followed, with a sadomasochistic theme, and other characters playing sex games with Olga. A third shoot, inspired by Marie Antoinette, took place in the studio. The Book of Olga brings together over 100 images from the Olga shoots and an introduction by French author Catherine Millet is one compelling depiction of female sexuality, allure, desire, intrigue, and fantasy.

Limited Collector’s Edition of 1,000 copies, each signed by Bettina Rheims