Customer Reviews

Life Class: The Academic Male Nude 1820-1920

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This small, but invaluable book surveys the academic male nude, in all its glory, from the early Victorian age to the early twentieth century. If you imagined that the male nude was taboo in a century of starched collars and frock coats, this collection of exquisite studies will come as a refreshing and entertaining surprise. The introduction is informative, but it is the range of finely observed drawings and sketches that steal the show. The works were selected from an annual exhibition of the male nude in London in the 1980s and fine art quality shines through in the reproductions. Though they were designed as academic exercises for the 'improvement' of students of fine art, this delightful bunch of drawings is surprisingly sensual in effect. This book will prove informative to the art historian and a visual treat for any fan of the male nude. The models were drawn from the finest specimens, including hunky soldiers, strapping labourers and muscular youths, all willing to drop their clothes to earn a crust. In case you are wondering, the good news is that even in Victorian times, many models were drawn fully nude and we can enjoy an uninhibited view of several of the model's finely turned anatomy in all its glory! As a student and fan of the male nude, I can thoroughly recommend this book. I promise you will cherish it, if you go weak at the knees at the thoughts of a strapping young hunks stripped bare and studied with loving devotion.