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Nude Photography

In the 1830s, Nièpce discovered how to print images onto metal plates. When he died in 1833, Louis Daguerre, followed by Francois Arago continued to develop his research, resulting in the invention of the daguerreotype which consisted of an image printed onto a silver plate when exposed to the light. Together they had invented photography.

Unlike paintings of nudes, which had long been considered an artistic discipline, nude photography was first used for scientific or educational purposes. Art schools often provided anatomy courses and photography became an increasingly popular means of representing the human body. In Orsay, photographs of nudes were found with squares traced onto the bodies in order to more carefully study their proportions and make them easier to reproduce through drawing.

At the beginning of the 20th century, magazines began to publish photographs of nudes. L'Etude Académique, for example, published nude photographs aimed at replacing life models in painting. When it first appeared, photography was not considered an art form; it remained anonymous and was thought of as a tool for artists to represent the human body. However, less scientific uses had been explored and a few years earlier, many erotic magazines had been published despite censorship.

The male nude, less widespread than the female nude, first appeared in photographs by Albert Londe, Thomas Eakins and Vincenzo Galdi, taken outdoors and capturing men as representations of young ephebes. In the 1930s and 1940s, photographers of the time, including Man Ray, Jean Ferrero and Gregor Arax, created more virile and sophisticated images.

Contemporary nudes take on many forms. One might expect them to be exclusively erotic but in reality, photographers approach the human body in a number of different ways. True to his style, Jeff Koons, chooses sexual provocation, creating pornographic scenes. Spencer Tunick brings together hundreds of naked participants to create striking images. As for Peter Joel Witkin, he explores the nude using the horrific and the bizarre. Among the masters of nude photography are Nan Goldin and her decadent photographs, Araki, specialising in black and white, Anders Petersen and his images of intimate scenes, as well as Robert Mapplethorpe with his minimalist and distinctive staging and composition.

In 1970, nude photography was fully accepted and there were even magazines specialised in the subject. Artsper features photographs by Bert Stern, Ren Hang, Eric Ceccarini, Maurice Renoma, Dani Olivier and Laetitia Lesaffre.

Collector’s Guide: Collecting Fine Art Photographs

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Jean-Pierre Bourgeois, Charmaine, Photography

Jean-Pierre Bourgeois

Charmaine, 1994
50 x 70 x 1 cm
Photography

$473

François Rouan, Notes de regards, Photography

François Rouan

Notes de regards, 2011
22 x 14.4 cm
Photography

$727

Jean-Francois Lefranc, Blanka # 2 , Photography

Jean-Francois Lefranc

Blanka # 2 , 2009
60 x 40 cm
Photography

$1,151

Plinio Martelli, Christmas, Photography

Plinio Martelli

Christmas, 2012
48 x 33 x 0.1 cm
Photography

$727

Poppy Faun, Room with a View, Photography

Poppy Faun

Room with a View, 2019
60 x 70 x 0.1 cm
Photography

$631

Robert Graham, Dye Transfer Study, Photography

Robert Graham

Dye Transfer Study, 1970
24 x 28 x 0.1 cm
Photography

$1,030

Françoise Benomar, Masque à rebours, Photography

Françoise Benomar

Masque à rebours, 2019
40 x 60 cm
Photography

$1,575

Koji Kasatani, Life 1, Photography

Koji Kasatani

Life 1, 2019
45 x 57 x 3 cm
Photography

$2,666

Ulrike Bolenz, Flukroute, Photography

Ulrike Bolenz

Flukroute, 2017
30 x 30 x 3 cm
Photography

$1,393

Sarkis, La honte, Photography

Sarkis

La honte, 2013
12 x 21 cm
Photography

$545

Leni Smoragdova, Figure Collection : Dark Version, Photography

Leni Smoragdova

Figure Collection : Dark Version, 2020
100.1 x 100.1 x 1 cm
Photography

$2,605

Edoardo Montaina, Paolina Borghese, Photography

Edoardo Montaina

Paolina Borghese, 2014
30.7 x 61.1 x 0.3 cm
Photography

$3,514

Pierre Molinier, L'homme au sabre, Photography

Pierre Molinier

L'homme au sabre, 1966
17.3 x 10.4 cm
Photography

5,000 - $ 10,000

Sakhile Cebekhulu, Vuma Agree, Photography

Sakhile Cebekhulu

Vuma Agree, 2019
100 x 83 x 4 cm
Photography

$3,635

Gum, Vaginarama, Photography

Gum

Vaginarama, 2016
75 x 50 cm
Photography

$241

Stefano Brunesci, Lazy Afternoon 1, Photography

Stefano Brunesci

Lazy Afternoon 1, 2015
28 x 18.6 cm
Photography

$545

Allan Teger, Airplane - black and white photography, Photography

Allan Teger

Airplane - black and white photography, 2017
60 x 90 cm
Photography

$1,817

Dan Carabas, Anika II, Photography

Dan Carabas

Anika II, 2012
47 x 32 cm
Photography

$860

Our recommendations Nicolas Dubreuille, Eléa, Photography

Nicolas Dubreuille

Eléa, 2018
60 x 60 x 1 cm
Photography

$2,605

Ludovic Florent, Poussières d'étoiles - L'obsession d'Icare, Photography

Ludovic Florent

Poussières d'étoiles - L'obsession d'Icare, 2013
60 x 40 x 3 cm
Photography

$969

Vadim Stein, Cube Nude II, Photography

Vadim Stein

Cube Nude II, 2020
40.6 x 50.8 cm
Photography

$1,181

Olivier Lelong, Medical Whore, Photography

Olivier Lelong

Medical Whore, 2013
90 x 60 x 2 cm
Photography

$1,454

Boris Hoppek, Sin Título / Untitled (*3), Photography

Boris Hoppek

Sin Título / Untitled (*3), 2014
70 x 50 cm
Photography

$1,018

Dwayne Martin, Blind Faith, Photography

Dwayne Martin

Blind Faith, 2019
45.7 x 40.6 cm
Photography

$969

Willy Ronis, Le nu provençal, Photography

Willy Ronis

Le nu provençal, 1949
40 x 30 cm
Photography

$6,058

Our recommendations Rasmus Mogensen, Sans titre, Photography

Rasmus Mogensen

Sans titre, 2018
133 x 100 cm
Photography

$7,270

Mira Loew, Damsel with Purple Neck Piece, Photography

Mira Loew

Damsel with Purple Neck Piece, 2012
38.1 x 38.1 x 2.5 cm
Photography

$636

Irina Ionesco, Myriam pour New look - 6, Photography

Irina Ionesco

Myriam pour New look - 6, 1987
26.2 x 17.7 cm
Photography

$473

Ant Pearce, 2015-07-01 at 01.01.33, Photography

Ant Pearce

2015-07-01 at 01.01.33, 2015
84 x 60 x 1 cm
Photography

$1,817

Marek Gardulski, Untitled, Photography

Marek Gardulski

Untitled, 1983
54 x 36 cm
Photography

$1,030

Our recommendations Dana Winkelman, Crucifixion, Photography

Dana Winkelman

Crucifixion, 2017
40.6 x 50.8 cm
Photography

$969

Agnès Godard, My Favorite Dance - Série 4 #6, Photography

Agnès Godard

My Favorite Dance - Série 4 #6, 2015
39 x 29 cm
Photography

$1,454

Douglas Ross, Turning Point, Photography

Douglas Ross

Turning Point, 2019
40.6 x 50.8 cm
Photography

$969

Renée Jacobs, Fleur with car in Montmartre, Photography

Renée Jacobs

Fleur with car in Montmartre, 2011
55.9 x 43.2 cm
Photography

$1,817

Silke Seybold, Bogies , Photography

Silke Seybold

Bogies , 2013
40 x 40 cm
Photography

$1,212

David Hamilton, Le Nu, Photography

David Hamilton

Le Nu, 1986
59 x 45 x 1 cm
Photography

$339

Roger Rossell, EBD - Invocation 2, Photography

Roger Rossell

EBD - Invocation 2, 2018
40 x 27 cm
Photography

$1,817

Bianca Lee Vasquez, Série Amazonas, Photography

Bianca Lee Vasquez

Série Amazonas, 2017
36 x 53 cm
Photography

$1,454

Francis Coffinet, La nuit triangulaire, Photography

Francis Coffinet

La nuit triangulaire, 2015
44 x 23 x 1 cm
Photography

$2,302

Clémence Veilhan, Chewing Girls - Julie, Photography

Clémence Veilhan

Chewing Girls - Julie, 2008
30 x 20 cm
Photography

$727

Patrick Strajnic, Glo V GF, Photography

Patrick Strajnic

Glo V GF, 2021
100 x 100 x 4 cm
Photography

$1,563

Ed Freeman, Underwater Nude 40, Photography

Ed Freeman

Underwater Nude 40, 2019
48 x 38 x 0.01 cm
Photography

$715

Valerio Cancellier, La natura nera - tatuaggio su genitale femminile, Photography

Valerio Cancellier

La natura nera - tatuaggio su genitale femminile, 2020
30 x 40 x 2 cm
Photography

$1,066

Erwin Blumenfeld, New York, 1957 (Attributed to Erwin Blumenfeld), Photography

Erwin Blumenfeld

New York, 1957 (Attributed to Erwin Blumenfeld), 1957
35.3 x 28.1 x 2.5 cm
Photography

$4,000

Eric Ceccarini, Paul Raynal 01 - The Painters Project, Photography

Eric Ceccarini

Paul Raynal 01 - The Painters Project, 2016
160 x 106 x 5 cm
Photography

$9,814

Harold Hermann, À corps écrits (1), Photography

Harold Hermann

À corps écrits (1), 2019
40 x 60 x 1 cm
Photography

$812

Gaspard Noël, J'ai vogué sur un Iceberg, Photography

Gaspard Noël

J'ai vogué sur un Iceberg, 2015
90 x 180 x 1 cm
Photography

$9,693

Alessandro Biancheri, Sans titre, Photography

Alessandro Biancheri

Sans titre, 2017
70 x 70 x 1 cm
Photography

$727

Marco Binisti, Vingt quatre, Photography

Marco Binisti

Vingt quatre, 1992
40 x 50 cm
Photography

$1,090

Manon Couse, CS1kong, Photography

Manon Couse

CS1kong, 2016
60 x 88 x 2 cm
Photography

$2,302

Our recommendations Philippe Robert, Carla Bruni Sarkozy, Harper's Bazaar, Photography

Philippe Robert

Carla Bruni Sarkozy, Harper's Bazaar, 1992
100 x 75 cm
Photography

$9,693

Aldara Ortega, Nude 5 - underwater color photography, Photography

Aldara Ortega

Nude 5 - underwater color photography, 2016
76 x 115 x 1 cm
Photography

$5,089

Bayol-Thémines, L'Attente, Photography

Bayol-Thémines

L'Attente, 1997
25 x 22 x 0.1 cm
Photography

$1,454

Rodrigo Chapa, Blue / Carmine, Photography

Rodrigo Chapa

Blue / Carmine, 2019
147.3 x 111.8 x 2.5 cm
Photography

$5,500

Georges Levy, Salon, Photography

Georges Levy

Salon, 2010
50 x 60 x 5 cm
Photography

$727

Olivier Valsecchi, Dust #1, Photography

Olivier Valsecchi

Dust #1, 2009
70 x 70 x 1 cm
Photography

$3,635

Our recommendations Ryszard Horowitz, La main, Photography

Ryszard Horowitz

La main, 1972
59 x 46 x 0.3 cm
Photography

$2,423

Remi Rebillard, Féminitude, Photography

Remi Rebillard

Féminitude, 2018
55 x 79 cm
Photography

$6,300

Gao Brothers, High place 5, Photography

Gao Brothers

High place 5, 2004
240 x 60 x 3 cm
Photography

$15,145

Philippe Dutoit, Montreux Jazz Festival 1983, Photography

Philippe Dutoit

Montreux Jazz Festival 1983, 2016
40 x 30 cm
Photography

$969

Michael Thompson, Keira Knightley, London, Photography

Michael Thompson

Keira Knightley, London, 2007
80.3 x 49.5 cm
Photography

$10,500

Alexandra Mas, À moi, Photography

Alexandra Mas

À moi, 2014
120 x 80 x 1 cm
Photography

$5,452

Julia Buruleva, BePartOfArt - Color Therapy 02, Photography

Julia Buruleva

BePartOfArt - Color Therapy 02, 2021
100 x 67 x 1 cm
Photography

$2,666

Yang Wang, Natacha, Photography

Yang Wang

Natacha, 2009
230 x 110 cm
Photography

$8,481

60 Artworks on 3966

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