Male nude
From The Art and Popular Culture Encyclopedia
Related e |
Featured: |
This page concerns representations of male nudity.
Contents |
Antiquity
In Ancient Greek art, male nakedness, including the genitals, was common, although the female vulval area was generally covered in art for public display. This tradition continued in Ancient Roman art until the conversion of the Roman Empire to Christianity, when heroic nudity vanished. The male nude was depicted in the over-muscled torsos and backs of the men in sculptures such as Laocoön and his Sons, the Belvedere Torso, and Farnese Hercules.
Middle Ages and Renaissance
- David (Michelangelo)
- Dying Gaul
- Dying Slave by Michelangelo
- Pluto (1592) by Agostino Carracci
- Samson Imprisoned[1] (ca. 1595) by Annibale Carracci
During the Middle Ages, the nude was replaced by the naked (The Nude, A Study in Ideal Form) and only the unfortunate (most often the damned) were usually shown naked, although the depictions were then often rather explicit. Adam and Eve were often shown wearing fig or other leaves, following the Biblical description. This was especially a feature of Northern Renaissance art.
19th century
See also
- Art nude
- The Beautiful Boy
- Frontal nudity
- Homoeroticism
- Female nude
- List of photographers known for portraying males erotically