He told Inside Edition that she should be 'proud' of their work.
Donald Trump may know all about The Art of the Deal, but how about the "art" of his wife?
Three days after photos of a nude Melania Trump from her modeling days re-emerged, the photographer who took the racy snaps is defending his work, saying the GOP presidential candidate and his wife should be proud of his work.
Read: First Naked Lady: Nude Images of Melania Trump Surface: 'She's A Beautiful Woman'
Jarl Ale de Basseville told Inside Edition that the pictures are “art.” He snapped the photos of the then-25-year-old inside an apartment in Manhattan's Chelsea neighborhood in the mid-90s.
“These photos are beautiful. These photos are unique portrait, iconic photos,” he said.
The images were taken for a now-defunct French men's magazine, Max, 20 years ago when she was modeling.
He added that Melania should be “proud” of the photos. The photographer said: “To have such a high level of beauty is something to be proud of.
In some of the photos released over the weekend, Melania, who at the time went by the name Melania K., posed nude with another woman, Scandinavian model Emma Eriksson.
Read: Despite What RNC Program Says, Melania Trump Never Finished College
They were taken just three years before she met her future husband, Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump.
Melania, born Melania Knauss, grew up in Slovenia and dropped out of college at the University of Ljubljana to pursue her modeling career.
Jason Miller, a Trump spokesman, defended the risqué photos Monday, telling CNN: "There’s nothing to be embarrassed about. She’s a beautiful woman."
Melania, 46, married Trump in 2005. They have child together: Barron, 10.
Watch: Ohio Congresswoman Wears Dress That Looks a Lot Like Melania Trump's RNC Attire
