22 Vintage Photos of the Late French Beauty Muse, Brigitte Bardot

Brigitte Bardot, the French beauty muse, actor, and animal rights activist, has passed away at the age of 91. Known for her bouffant hair and sun-kissed skin, Bardot arrived on screen in the 1950s and swiftly rose to film-star fame after appearing in her then-husband, Roger Vadim’s film And God Created Woman in 1956. She became one of the defining sex symbols of the mid-20th century, and it’s easy to see why: those pillowy lips, the voluminous blonde mane (complete with stellar curtain bangs), and that arresting, wide-eyed stare. Not to mention her chic Riviera wardrobe.

Years later, she focused her attention on animal rights activism. By the early 1970s, she had turned her back on the film industry entirely and had retired from acting at the age of 39. Bardot previously said: “I gave my beauty and my youth to men [and] I am going to give my wisdom and experience to animals.”

See 22 vintage photos of the late muse, actor, and activist Brigitte Bardot.