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Male Nude

A work made of albumen print.
CC0 Public Domain Designation

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  • A work made of albumen print.

Date:

1890

Artist:

Wilhelm von Gloeden
German, 1856–1931

About this artwork

Suffering from lung disease, Wilhelm von Gloeden moved to Taormina, on the island of Sicily, at the age of 22 on doctor’s orders. After having regained his health, he remained on the island and began making photographs of the idyllic landscape as well as the young male inhabitants, both of which suggested to him a classical ideal.

While the nudity of his models—young peasants, shepherds, and fishermen—was quite uncommon in von Gloeden’s native Germany, it was unremarkable for the island youths of Sicily and Southern Italy. Despite von Gloeden’s genuine interest in classical art, such references also provided an aesthetically acceptable way to explore his private, erotic fascination with the male body.

Status

Currently Off View

Department

Photography and Media

Artist

Wilhelm von Gloeden

Title

Male Nude

Place

Germany (Artist's nationality:)

Date  Dates are not always precisely known, but the Art Institute strives to present this information as consistently and legibly as possible. Dates may be represented as a range that spans decades, centuries, dynasties, or periods and may include qualifiers such as c. (circa) or BCE.

Made 1890

Medium

Albumen print

Dimensions

Image: 18 × 13 cm (7 1/8 × 5 1/8 in.); Mount: 36 × 26 cm (14 3/16 × 10 1/4 in.)

Credit Line

Gift of W. Bruce and Delaney H. Lundberg

Reference Number

2011.327

IIIF Manifest  The International Image Interoperability Framework (IIIF) represents a set of open standards that enables rich access to digital media from libraries, archives, museums, and other cultural institutions around the world.

Learn more.

https://api.artic.edu/api/v1/artworks/210677/manifest.json

Extended information about this artwork

Object information is a work in progress and may be updated as new research findings emerge. To help improve this record, please email . Information about image downloads and licensing is available here.

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