Back To Basics (Christina Aguilera Album) - Artwork

Artwork

When Aguilera started working on Back to Basics, she was not just inspired by the sounds of the 1920s, '30s and '40s, but the look of those eras as well. When she began shooting for the artwork of the album, she cited Bette Davis, Marlene Dietrich, Marilyn Monroe, Carole Lombard, Judy Garland, Greta Garbo, Veronica Lake, among others as her inspirations.

"With the first setup, we just wanted to warm lighting, very inviting, just kind of relaxed, an old-Hollywood feel where you're kind of in the bed but also being really inviting, I'm kind of smiling," Aguilera explained. "For the Stripped record it was a very real and honest place for me, but it was also a darker place. So I feel really lifted, things are lighter for me. I'm happier now than I've ever really been."—Christina Aguilera, MTV

Aguilera handpicked German photographer Ellen von Unwerth, who has captured Janet Jackson and Penélope Cruz, for the photo sessions. They spent three days beginning at a historic hotel called the Hollywood Dell. Aguilera spent most of the first day shooting in a bed, peering through the iron bars of a headboard; a shot inspired by a famous Marilyn Monroe picture. Later, the image featuring Aguilera in white dress and lounging at the bed was used as the album's cover, an image shot on the same session. The production group used warm lighting. On the second day, Aguilera used more dressed up outfits. For the third day session, Aguilera and Unwerth went to a Forty Deuce, a Hollywood hot-spot that puts a modern twist on a 1920s burlesque club. They set up the vibe to create an old jazzy blues club. In the session, Aguilera also shot a series of pictures with four Navy sailors.