48 pages Edited by Sylvie Aubenas 16.8 x 12.2 cm Language: French Paperback Publisher: BNF Éditions 2025
This booklet traces the history of the male photographic nude in the 19th century. These images, intended for artists, featured all kinds of poses—designed for practice or to serve as references for historical or mythological works. As the century progressed, however, they also began to feature languid young men, created simply to please the eye.
While the production of female nudes in 19th-century photography was abundant and extended far beyond artistic or scientific purposes, male nudes were far less ambiguous—more clearly intended for painters or students at fine arts academies. Their poses echo those found in history or mythological painting. Yet toward the end of the century, athletic bodies and languorous youths begin to appear, marking the start of an eroticization of the male form.
This booklet offers a behind-the-scenes look at the studios where the grand tradition of painting—populated by gods and heroes—was brought to life.
