Nude Photography

The dawn of the daguerrotype 150 years ago has brought not only the birth of photography, but a renaissance in the study of nudes as well. This book tells the story of nudes in the photographic medium, from the world's most important photographers. Starting with the pioneer Daguerre, whose 1839 photograph of a nude sculpture set artistic precedent, this book spans the decades to early twentieth century greats such as Alfred Steiglitz, Man Ray and Brassai, to contemporary photographers such as Robert Mapplethorpe, David Levinthal and Duane Michals. The volume is a tour through a photographic gallery which treats the viewer to aspects of female beauty from the perspective of the camera lens. Set against a historical background, this book contrasts the art of taking pictures and its technological innovations with the academic tradition of painting nudes. The appearance of a new means of capturing the nude, the camera, introduced an entirely new dimension to the fine arts. The volume highlights the once fervent competition between the two media of photography and painting, with refinements in technology allowing the newer art form to come into its own. Each photograph is accompanied by a short essay that explains its story and interprets the photographic subjects. Biographical entries summarize the information belonging to each work.