Human body

Sculpture, L'Insaisissable, Marc Petit

L'Insaisissable

Marc Petit

Sculpture - 6.7 x 3.9 x 2.8 inch

$1,811

Sculpture, Petite alanguie bleue, Marie Fang

Petite alanguie bleue

Marie Fang

Sculpture - 5.5 x 9.8 x 3.9 inch

$792

Painting, Flirt, set of 9 separate paintings, Olha Vlasova

Flirt, set of 9 separate paintings

Olha Vlasova

Painting - 23.6 x 23.6 x 0.8 inch

$792

Print, Desperate Housewives (Batgirl), Kobalt

Desperate Housewives (Batgirl)

Kobalt

Print - 27.6 x 19.7 x 0.1 inch

$340

Fine Art Drawings, Encensé 2, Catherine Carrée

Encensé 2

Catherine Carrée

Fine Art Drawings - 19.7 x 15.7 x 0.1 inch

$1,019

Painting, Figure, Stanislav Bojankov

Figure

Stanislav Bojankov

Painting - 39.4 x 27.6 x 0.8 inch

$2,943

Print, Bonheur Familial, Stratos

Bonheur Familial

Stratos

Print - 6.3 x 2.8 x 0.2 inch

$872

Sculpture, Une larme 51-21, Philippe Buil

Une larme 51-21

Philippe Buil

Sculpture - 16.9 x 7.9 x 4.7 inch

$1,132

Print, Presente pluscuamperfecto no. 4, Salustiano

Presente pluscuamperfecto no. 4

Salustiano

Print - 32.2 x 24.1 inch

$2,491

Painting, Musical Symbiosis (1), Hildegarde Handsaeme

Musical Symbiosis (1)

Hildegarde Handsaeme

Painting - 39.4 x 31.5 x 1.6 inch

$4,302

Sculpture, Family I, Nando Kallweit

Family I

Nando Kallweit

Sculpture - 11.8 x 4.3 x 3.1 inch

$1,698

Painting, Abondance, Silvia Calmejane

Abondance

Silvia Calmejane

Painting - 39.4 x 39.4 x 0.4 inch

$6,792

Photography, On est notre environnement, Aline Part

On est notre environnement

Aline Part

Photography - 23.6 x 15.7 x 0.1 inch

$679

Sculpture, Helicoides, Jesus Curia

Helicoides

Jesus Curia

Sculpture - 17.3 x 87.4 x 11.8 inch

$29,434

Painting, La main folle, Marie-Josée Roy

La main folle

Marie-Josée Roy

Painting - 30 x 2 x 6 inch

$1,550

Painting, Girl with bird, Gevorg Martirosyan

Girl with bird

Gevorg Martirosyan

Painting - 9.8 x 9.8 x 0.8 inch

$1,500

Sculpture, Corps à corps, Celkha

Corps à corps

Celkha

Sculpture - 14.2 x 3.1 x 2 inch

$1,585

Fine Art Drawings, Dans les rochers, Claudette Allosio

Dans les rochers

Claudette Allosio

Fine Art Drawings - 27.6 x 19.7 x 0.2 inch

$1,925

Painting, The plotting Conspirators, Suthamma (Ta) Byrne

The plotting Conspirators

Suthamma (Ta) Byrne

Painting - 59.1 x 78.7 x 1.6 inch

$7,330

Sculpture, Le geste no.6, Marie-Josée Roy

Le geste no.6

Marie-Josée Roy

Sculpture - 25 x 4 x 4 inch

$600

Painting, Hommage à Picasso, Enric Cormenzana

Hommage à Picasso

Enric Cormenzana

Painting - 26.4 x 18.9 x 0.4 inch

$1,698

Painting, The People, Michal Bajsarowicz

The People

Michal Bajsarowicz

Painting - 39.4 x 47.2 x 1.8 inch

$2,830

Photography, Nude Carla Bruni a genoux, Harper Bazar, Philippe Robert

Nude Carla Bruni a genoux, Harper Bazar

Philippe Robert

Photography - 43.3 x 32.3 x 0.8 inch

$12,453

Fine Art Drawings, Portraits de mains, Jean Robert (Ipoustéguy)

Portraits de mains

Jean Robert (Ipoustéguy)

Fine Art Drawings - 25.2 x 19.3 x 0.2 inch

$623

Photography, Golden Nude Kate Moss 1993, Thiery Le Gouès

Golden Nude Kate Moss 1993

Thiery Le Gouès

Photography - 39.4 x 39.4 x 0.8 inch

$13,585

Painting, Que Mona !, Marcos Rodrigo

Que Mona !

Marcos Rodrigo

Painting - 29.5 x 19.7 x 0.4 inch

$1,121

Photography, Open Mind - 24k Gold Leaf, Gregoire A.Meyer

Open Mind - 24k Gold Leaf

Gregoire A.Meyer

Photography - 49.2 x 49.2 x 2 inch

$12,453

Fine Art Drawings, Corps et Ame #191121_009, Jérôme Rapin

Corps et Ame #191121_009

Jérôme Rapin

Fine Art Drawings - 28.7 x 20.9 x 0 inch

$1,358

Sculpture, Looking down, Jef Aérosol

Looking down

Jef Aérosol

Sculpture - 59.1 x 25.2 x 1 inch

$5,094

Sculpture, Couple fusionnel, Marina Cartiant

Couple fusionnel

Marina Cartiant

Sculpture - 17.7 x 7.9 x 11.8 inch

$5,547

Painting, Icare, Chantal Dufour

Icare

Chantal Dufour

Painting - 44.9 x 57.5 x 0.8 inch

$11,321

Sculpture, Driving South, Sarah Elqa

Driving South

Sarah Elqa

Sculpture - 11.2 x 8.7 x 3.9 inch

$2,500

Painting, Spellbound, Anastasiia Danilenko

Spellbound

Anastasiia Danilenko

Painting - 43 x 35 x 0.3 inch

$4,550

Print, Monsieur Vénus, Leonor Fini

Monsieur Vénus

Leonor Fini

Print - 16.1 x 12.6 x 0 inch

$226

Sculpture, Femmoore, Beatus Hofrichter

Femmoore

Beatus Hofrichter

Sculpture - 3.9 x 9.8 x 6.7 inch

$13,585

Print, Forest 9, Marta Garbaczewska

Forest 9

Marta Garbaczewska

Print - 39.4 x 27.6 inch

$1,121

Sculpture, Artistic tooth - Black Leg, Hilbertas Jatkevicius

Artistic tooth - Black Leg

Hilbertas Jatkevicius

Sculpture - 7.3 x 4.1 x 3.7 inch

$294

Print, Paris-Madrid-Paris, Eduardo Arroyo

Paris-Madrid-Paris

Eduardo Arroyo

Print - 29.9 x 22 x 0.4 inch

$1,585

Sculpture, Gold Mademoiselle Lace Steel Sculpture, Vyki

Gold Mademoiselle Lace Steel Sculpture

Vyki

Sculpture - 21.7 x 17.7 x 11.8 inch

$5,094

Design, Antinoüs, Olga Tobreluts

Antinoüs

Olga Tobreluts

Design - 33.9 x 33.9 x 0.8 inch

$5,660

Print, Leg, Hans Bellmer

Leg

Hans Bellmer

Print - 14.2 x 12.6 x 0 inch

$396

Sculpture, Aigua I, Teresa Riba

Aigua I

Teresa Riba

Sculpture - 12.6 x 3.1 x 2.8 inch

$3,623

Painting, Lumenis 43, Tracey Adams

Lumenis 43

Tracey Adams

Painting - 24 x 24 inch

$3,576

Sculpture, The knight, Stavri Kalinov

The knight

Stavri Kalinov

Sculpture - 5.9 x 5.9 x 1.2 inch

$623

Fine Art Drawings, N°649 Iceberg, Jérémie Iordanoff

N°649 Iceberg

Jérémie Iordanoff

Fine Art Drawings - 9.1 x 12.2 inch

$566

Print, Cineris from Renascere series, Aku Menditeguy

Cineris from Renascere series

Aku Menditeguy

Print - 11 x 15 x 0 inch

$198

Fine Art Drawings, La Chambre Verte - Blossom - 2, VAM

La Chambre Verte - Blossom - 2

VAM

Fine Art Drawings - 10.2 x 7.9 x 0 inch

$396

Print, African Elephant, Ron English

African Elephant

Ron English

Print - 34.3 x 23.8 inch

$914

Sculpture, Panthère strassée, François Rambaud

Panthère strassée

François Rambaud

Sculpture - 21.7 x 59.1 x 13.8 inch

$10,755

Fine Art Drawings, Ecoute II, Bze Bzeland

Ecoute II

Bze Bzeland

Fine Art Drawings - 19 x 13 x 0 inch

$226

Fine Art Drawings, Poèmes insoumis, André Masson

Poèmes insoumis

André Masson

Fine Art Drawings - 12.4 x 9.8 x 0.1 inch

$1,698 $1,528

Fine Art Drawings, Dessin 1, Roberto Matta

Dessin 1

Roberto Matta

Fine Art Drawings - 19.7 x 25.6 inch

$9,056

Photography, Close to nothing (Pink), Sophie Derrick

Close to nothing (Pink)

Sophie Derrick

Photography - 16.5 x 11.8 x 3.1 inch

$1,590

Photography, Untitled II, Sébastien Castillo

Untitled II

Sébastien Castillo

Photography - 15.7 x 23.6 x 0.4 inch

$611

Sculpture, Ailée, Lutfi Romhein

Ailée

Lutfi Romhein

Sculpture - 22.8 x 9.8 x 9.8 inch

$3,396

Print, Images de Pierres, Giuseppe Penone

Images de Pierres

Giuseppe Penone

Print - 43.7 x 15.7 inch

$4,528

Fine Art Drawings, L'Abeille - The Bee, Alex Konahin

L'Abeille - The Bee

Alex Konahin

Fine Art Drawings - 13 x 18.1 x 0.4 inch

$2,264

Fine Art Drawings, Nude, Antoni Janusz Pastwa

Nude

Antoni Janusz Pastwa

Fine Art Drawings - 35.4 x 25.6 inch

$792

Photography, Oriflamme, Claude Lévêque

Oriflamme

Claude Lévêque

Photography - 11.8 x 11.8 x 0.4 inch

$623

Painting, L'homme malade, Claude Weisbuch

L'homme malade

Claude Weisbuch

Painting - 45.7 x 35 x 1.2 inch

$28,302

Painting, 111 117, Florian Eymann

111 117

Florian Eymann

Painting - 26 x 21.3 x 0.8 inch

$3,233

Fine Art Drawings, Élévation, Claude André Thibaud

Élévation

Claude André Thibaud

Fine Art Drawings - 8.7 x 14.2 x 0 inch

$688

Painting, La Transmission, Alice Laverty

La Transmission

Alice Laverty

Painting - 31.9 x 25.6 x 0.8 inch

$2,264

Sculpture, Dancing petals, Jihyung Nam

Dancing petals

Jihyung Nam

Sculpture - 19.7 x 13.8 x 9.8 inch

$1,707

Sculpture, Young One, Emmanuel Okoro

Young One

Emmanuel Okoro

Sculpture - 35.4 x 7.9 x 7.9 inch

$4,504

Print, Linopomes, Luiza Kasprzyk

Linopomes

Luiza Kasprzyk

Print - 24.4 x 27.6 inch

$566

Photography, Bird walk, Adina Apostu

Bird walk

Adina Apostu

Photography - 31.5 x 23.6 x 0 inch

$662

Sculpture, Fila, Roland Masson

Fila

Roland Masson

Sculpture - 17.7 x 3.9 x 3.9 inch

$962

Sculpture, Valise-Mémoire 1, Olivier Sultan

Valise-Mémoire 1

Olivier Sultan

Sculpture - 17.7 x 25.6 x 5.9 inch

$1,811

Sculpture, Cowering Figure - Small, Annette Girke

Cowering Figure - Small

Annette Girke

Sculpture - 2.4 x 3.9 x 1.6 inch

$1,551

Print, Curl, Farhad Moshiri

Curl

Farhad Moshiri

Print - 27.6 x 19.7 inch

$408

Sculpture, Horse, Gelitin

Horse

Gelitin

Sculpture - 52 x 23.6 x 39.4 inch

$5,547

Sculpture, La Valse, Sébastien Langloÿs

La Valse

Sébastien Langloÿs

Sculpture - 10.2 x 6.3 x 5.1 inch

$5,660

Painting, A Forest (Silent landscape), Maria Prokop

A Forest (Silent landscape)

Maria Prokop

Painting - 24 x 18.1 inch

$509

Photography, Bill T. Jones, Robert Mapplethorpe

Bill T. Jones

Robert Mapplethorpe

Photography - 19.75 x 15.75 x 0.1 inch

$45,000

Photography, Prism, Marilyn  Minter

Prism

Marilyn Minter

Photography - 20.1 x 15.7 x 2 inch

$18,113

Painting, Remains and fragments, Jan Szczepkowski

Remains and fragments

Jan Szczepkowski

Painting - 59.1 x 51.2 x 0.8 inch

$2,943

Sculpture, Camille, Christian Candelier

Camille

Christian Candelier

Sculpture - 15.4 x 4.3 x 8.3 inch

$3,057

Painting, Le corps souple de la belle, Herve Malcom Thomas

Le corps souple de la belle

Herve Malcom Thomas

Painting - 57.5 x 44.9 x 0.8 inch

$2,491

Painting, Matière première, Marie Labat

Matière première

Marie Labat

Painting - 35 x 23.2 x 0.1 inch

$792

Print, Life is a Veil, Kiki Kogelnik

Life is a Veil

Kiki Kogelnik

Print - 32 x 26 inch

$8,000

Painting, Ma Fleur, Anika Manuel

Ma Fleur

Anika Manuel

Painting - 23.6 x 17.7 x 0.8 inch

$1,027

Painting, I am what I am, Psyckoze

I am what I am

Psyckoze

Painting - 18.1 x 15 x 0.4 inch

$2,038

Photography, Bolchoi XV, Gérard Uféras

Bolchoi XV

Gérard Uféras

Photography - 15.7 x 19.7 inch

$1,925

Print, Meditación, Sonia Alins

Meditación

Sonia Alins

Print - 16.9 x 16.9 x 0.1 inch

$142

Painting, Insomnia, Judith Berry

Insomnia

Judith Berry

Painting - 11.8 x 11.8 x 1.2 inch

$1,400

Photography, Neck Tattoo, Warwick Saint

Neck Tattoo

Warwick Saint

Photography - 31 x 25 inch

$1,800

Sculpture, Arlequin bleu, James Coignard

Arlequin bleu

James Coignard

Sculpture - 19.7 x 6.3 x 2.4 inch

$5,207

Print, Sans titre, Pierre Dmitrienko

Sans titre

Pierre Dmitrienko

Print - 29.3 x 22 x 0 inch

$566

Human body

'I wanted to conquer the world. But I also desperately wanted to understand human nature, and to know what was inside our bodies. To do this, I have spent whole night dissecting bodies, against the direct orders of the Pope. Nothing disgusts me. What I am looking for, truly, in all of my work and particularly in my painting, what I have looked for all my life, is to understand the mystery that is human nature' – from the notebooks of Leonardo da Vinci in the 16th century.


At the time of writing these notes, da Vinci had already made greater understanding of the human body the primary objective of his investigations. Dissection and study were key to his development of a holistic knowledge of anatomy, which da Vinci believed was vital to the perfect rendering of the nude figures which he painted and drew.


Little by little, the traditional image of the human figure was uprooted and in its place new ways of interpreting the body developed. Contemporary artists relentlessly questioned the traditional codes of figure drawing, liberally reworking the representation of the body to create a new image that was dislocated, geometric, deformed and disfigured.


The body as an artistic subject is at once desired, fantasised, dreamt, transformed, deformed. For painters, photographers and sculptors alike the body represents a rite of passage in their artistic development. Many people say that they most appreciate the talents of an artists by way of their control over the complexity of the figure. For example, it's clear even in Matisse's later, more abstract collages that he had perfectly mastered the human form.


Representation of the body is fundamental to Western art: first and foremost because it suggests a representation of the self, and therefore affirms the artist's own existence and coexistence with the environment that surrounds them. At the beginning of art history, the only bodies represented were the gods, supernatural beings, and spirits who had taken on human form. The body, nude or clothed, is at once one of the most widely depicted and most deeply polemical subjects in Western art (think of the scandals provoked by Courbet's 'Origins of the World', or Renoir's 'Picnic on the Grass').


The body has always been the primary subject of an array of themes, and its history is rich and ancient. Initially, depiction of the body was closely linked to religion, where the Word became flesh in Genesis, but later in more secular times the arousal of the artist when faced with the body made for an equally popular theme. Latterly the notion of the body as an object of beauty was subverted by Cubism until depictions of bodies no longer bore any resemblance to reality or made any pretence of respecting the rules of proportion.


Finally, in modern art the body has taken on an abstract shape within space, becoming one with the environment. In some instances, the body has become the artist's own support, as with Klein's models. The body as an abstract concept is tangible in many different manifestations in art, even in pieces as unassuming as some of Rothko's paintings. It remains the subject of inexhaustible inspiration and eternal debate.

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