and in the 1590s Annibale Carracci (1560–1609) frescoed its room in the Palazzo Farnese with riotous paintings of Hercules’ life and labors. The original legs were discovered not long after, but Michelangelo advised that Guglielmo’s versions be retained as examples of modern work that was equal to that of the ancients. The ancient limbs were not restored to the statue until 1787, and even then Guglielmo’s legs were displayed next to them, as they still are today. For Artspace Auctions winning bidders are charged a 15% Buyer's Premium on top of the hammer price. Art history has, of course, provided no shortage of female nudes to accompany them. But what makes the male nude unique by comparison is the artist’s gaze: Most professional artists have been men, and as such, their self-awareness and — perhaps, more importantly — their desire for or repulsion toward the male figure have influenced their renderings in particular ways, ranging from the contemptuous to the overtly sexual in taboo-challenging ways. includes examples from monumental 17th century chalk drawings and Enlightenment-era scientific models to contemporary hyperrealistic sculptures—all proudly owning their nakedness. to traditions of male potency. The lower legs possess exaggerated, hardened calves (another symbol of male strength that the Taino produced by binding their lower legs with ligatures), which are here decorated with curvilinear designs. The skull-like head on the upper side of the

Renaissance artists revived the nude after about 1,000 years in which sexualised naked images had been banned from art by the medieval Roman Catholic church. Like their classical inspirations, they started with the male form. Donatello’s eroticised bronze statue of David was created about four decades before Botticelli’s Birth of Venus. In the 16th century, it was the openly gay Michelangelo who defined the High Renaissance with his heroically tortured male nudes, including a full-frontal Christ whose loins the church still sees fit to cover with bronze underpants. Clark also reminded his readers of the ancient Greek custom “that in the gymnasium and the sports-ground… young men displayed themselves totally naked.” It’s fair to say that the male nude in art has undergone something of a chequered history since then. We generally leave 1/4” - 1/2” of paper showing around the image, to accommodate signatures and for visual appeal. employ the Egyptian grid of proportions and the canonical frontal pose, with arms at sides and left leg advanced. Indeed, this early

It seems, then, that even as we look to the 2020s, engaging new possibilities are continuing to be uncovered for male nudity — in art, as in life. What part does this subject play in your own artistic practice, and are you intrigued by the dynamics of the nude across the gender divide? Feel free to let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.

The Cerne Abbas giant is as controversial as it is explicit: no definite date, identity or purpose is agreed upon. It was created by cutting an outline into the turf and infilling with white chalk. Although considered ancient by some, the earliest record of it dates to 1694, when it was old enough to need repair; a land survey of the area in 1617 makes no mention of it. Eighteenth century antiquarians associated it with a Saxon god or the Greek hero Hercules, whereas others suggest that it satirized Oliver Cromwell (1599–1658, leader of the English Civil War and sometimes referred to as "England’s Hercules" by his enemies). Investigations in 1996 and 2008 confirmed that the giant once held a cloak or animal skin over his left arm, suggesting the figure is a hunter or perhaps Hercules carrying the skin of the Nemean lion. Historical depictions reveal that the 35-foot erection seen today dates to the nineteenth century, when a circle representing the navel was joined to a smaller penis. The phallus was prudishly omitted from Victorian images of the giant, but the figure’s association with fertility flourished. Local folklore decreed that sleeping on the figure would make a woman fertile, and that infertility would be cured if sexual intercourse took place atop the phallus. is the only extant example that perfectly matches the Egyptian canon of human proportions as described by the Greek historian Diodoros in the first century BC. The Greek works differ from Egyptian figures, however, in being nude and carved in the round. Moreover, the decorative traditions of the preceding Geometric period (10th–8th centuries BC) can be seen in the patterns used to represent the essential elements of the human form: here, the curves of the pectorals are repeated in the kneecaps and eyebrows, and the angles of the ribcage are reflected in the elbows and groin. Stylization of hair and facial features extends to the fat cheeks, wide eyes, arched eyebrows and spiral ears. Over the next century sculptors would integrate these patterns into a more naturalistic whole, resulting in the much more subtle and relaxed form of the last of theincluding some of the men who had posed for the photographs. In providing a context for Mapplethorpe’s photographs, Ligon’s aim was to "let the viewers sort it out". The viewer may choose just to look at the photos, or to read the texts as well and experience Ligon’s process of thinking about the work. Armed with a simple Polaroid camera, Lucas Samaras (b.1936) created a series of innovative and grotesque self-portraits in the tiny, confined space of his New York apartment. The emulsion of 1970s Polaroid film, protected under a layer of Mylar, remained wet and malleable for up to 24 hours (a feature Polaroid later corrected). After removing the Mylar, Samaras could manipulate the emulsion with a stylus or his fingers to create fantastic, often gruesome effects. Colored light and double exposures helped to heighten the drama of the distorted bodies he created. A visceral wave seems to ripple through the figure in

Her own snaps of the male nude combine conventionally attractive and traditionally masculine bodies with a certain playfulness quite unlike the disengaged poses associated with the subject in classical art. Every bid submitted is treated as a maximum bid. You should always bid the maximum you are willing to Introduce anal play with a Novice Plug, the perfect anal vibrator for newbies with a slim design, smooth silicone, and a remote control from up to 30 feet away." — A.W. But under this flawless skin is a rotten deception, one deepened by a social-media saturated society. ‘Most of the bodies we see online on a daily basis aren’t even real, but rather enhanced or modified by technology to conform to a current, unsustainable trend,’ says LA-based photographer Julia SH, who is exhibiting powerful, textured portraits of bodies rarely depicted in 21st-century media, presented in museum-like frames. ‘In the US, what little nudity permitted is usually shown in a sexual context. Seeing nudes in a museum is one of the only exceptions to this. I created a series where I framed my models as sculptures and works of art in the hope that the viewer will suspend any judgments about whether they find the models sexually attractive or not, or whether their bodies are socially “acceptable”. The more body types we are exposed to, the more pragmatic our view will become.’But why does Pittaluga think it's important for contemporary photography to offer visibility to all body types? ‘I hope that one day this kind of question will no longer exist,’she says. ‘I am focused on giving a voice and visibility to those who are not ortoo littlerepresented. It is very important to me to do everything to deconstruct this hegemony, I am committed to invoking all these fights until they are won.’ an anatomical model) that would help him accurately represent the bone structure and musculature of the saint’s body. His study was highly praised by his anatomy tutor as well as his fellow students, who urged him not to modify it further. The sculpture was soon bought by the Académie de France in Rome, where it became required study for subsequent students; copies were soon to be found in art academies all over Europe. This study in human motion is an astonishing display of flexed muscles and straining sinews amid manic slaughter, of bodies engaged in energetic action seen from different angles. A versatile and influential artist, Antonio Pollaiuolo’s (1432–98) main interest was in human anatomy, and his scientific knowledge of the body greatly impressed his contemporaries. In

In the case of multiple bidders placing the same maximum bid, the first person to place the maximum photographs demonstrate the action and movement of the human body’s limbs and muscles in a way that had previously been impossible. Although originally intended as a scientific study aid (as indicated by the anthropometric grid behind the subject), the photographs of this anonymous runner have transcended their original context to become iconic images in the history of photography, and they represent an important step in the development of cinematography. This life-size sculpture of a flayed man shows the intricate system of muscles that lie beneath the skin. Houdon (1741–1828) made the piece when he was still a student in Rome, aged just 25. It is one of his earliest and most famous works, and has been reproduced thousands of times, serving as a popular anatomical model for artists. Houdon had been commissioned to create a sculpture of John the Baptist and, after being given the opportunity to study human anatomy with a professor of surgery, decided to create an BOYS! BOYS! BOYS! - The Magazine is out with a special 'Pride Issue' for Volume 2 of the fine art male photography magazine. This issue features 10 photographers from nine different countries, including notable talents like AdeY from the United Kingdom, David Charles Collins from Australia, Ashish Gupta from India, and indigenous Peruvian photographer Inon Sani on his first collaboration with the magazine.

Fast-forward to 1978, and Margaret Walters observed in her introduction to The Nude Male: A New Perspective that “the male nude is a forgotten subject. For most people the word nude conjures up the image of a naked woman — a pinup in a girlie magazine or a Venus de Milo. Over the last two hundred years or so, most artists interested in the human body have been obsessed by the female nude.” Historically made to embody strength, power, and virility, the male nude can also evoke beauty, vulnerability, and sexual intrigue. statue is the earliest Greek monumental sculpture type of the post-Bronze Age, and this example in New York’s Metropolitan Museum is one of the earliest. The inspiration is Egyptian: these early