Physique: Classic Photographs of Naked Athletes

A sensual, visually opulent photographic history of the nude athlete.The history of sports is also a history of nude photography. Sports and games—indeed all forms of physical culture—have always been practiced in a state of at least semi-nudity. Yet never before have the sensual and erotic aspects of sports been celebrated with such enthusiasm as they are today. Peter Kuhnst's thoughtful selection of images traces the history of the nude athlete in photography from the mid-nineteenth century to the present. From Eadweard Muybridge's motion studies of runners and javelin throwers, through European Naturism, the painterly photography of Pictorialism, and Leni Riefenstahl's work under the Third Reich, to stunning contemporary photographs by Robert Mapplethorpe, Herb Ritts, Bruce Weber, and Annie Leibovitz, the list of photographers is long and varied, and their styles range from traditional to rebellious to humorous to provocative. This sumptuous and beautifully printed survey is sure to captivate both lovers of fine photography and sports fans. With 160 photographs in color and duotone by: Yann Arthus-Bertrand • Diana Blok • Lynn Davis • Thomas Eakins • Greg Gorman • André Kertész • Annie Leibovitz • Herbert List • Robert Mapplethorpe • Eadweard Muybridge • Leni Riefenstahl • Herb Ritts • Frank Eugene Smith • Bruce Weber • and many others