Sylvia Kristel and Catherine Rivet are captured together in this intimate black-and-white publicity photograph from EMMANUELLE 2 (1975), also released as EMMANUELLE: THE JOYS OF A WOMAN. The tightly framed composition places Kristel’s Emmanuelle and Rivet together in an erotic encounter, creating an image closely associated with the sensual European cinema that made the EMMANUELLE films an international phenomenon during the 1970s.

SYLVIA KRISTEL & CATHERINE RIVET - EMMANUELLE 2 (1975) Intimate Scene Rare Paramount Publicity Photo

The extreme close-up gives the photograph an unusually intimate visual character. With almost all background detail eliminated, the composition concentrates entirely upon the two women, their overlapping figures and the contrasting profiles created by the dramatic black-and-white photography.

Of particular archival interest is the surviving Paramount Pictures publicity information associated with the photograph. Carrying the studio reference EM-11-11, the original caption identifies Catherine Rivet and Sylvia Kristel and promotes the film as EMMANUELLE, THE JOYS OF A WOMAN, providing a direct connection between this image and the film’s American theatrical publicity campaign.

EMMANUELLE 2, originally released in France as EMMANUELLE: L’ANTIVIERGE, is a 1975 French erotic drama directed by Francis Giacobetti and starring Sylvia Kristel, Umberto Orsini, Frédéric Lagache and Catherine Rivet. The film continued the international success of EMMANUELLE (1974), with Kristel returning to the role that made her one of the most recognizable European screen personalities of the decade.

The story follows Emmanuelle as she travels to Hong Kong to reunite with her husband Jean and continues her exploration of relationships, desire and personal freedom. Francis Lai composed the film’s music, while Laura Gemser appears in an early role before becoming closely associated with another series of European erotic films.

Sylvia Kristel’s portrayal of Emmanuelle became an enduring symbol of the period’s increasingly international erotic cinema. The extraordinary commercial reach of the series brought Kristel worldwide recognition and made its sophisticated publicity photography an important part of the films’ visual identity.

For collectors, this photograph combines Sylvia Kristel’s most famous screen role with documented Paramount Pictures publicity provenance. Its intimate composition, Catherine Rivet’s appearance and surviving EM-11-11 studio reference distinguish it as a particularly interesting artifact from the international promotion of EMMANUELLE 2.

Carefully restored and professionally printed from archival source material, this museum-quality photograph is a distinctive collectible for admirers of Sylvia Kristel, Catherine Rivet, EMMANUELLE 2, EMMANUELLE: THE JOYS OF A WOMAN, Francis Giacobetti, Paramount Pictures, French cinema and 1970s European film photography.