The Nude in Photography
THE NUDE IN PHOTOGRAPHY: St Sebastian> Andromeda, Leander, and other
WITH SOME STUDIES TAKEN heroes and heroines, sacred and profane, even where
IN THE OPEN AIR a stuc^' °^ l'le Nude on its own merits was for-
bidden. Coming to modern times, we find the
unwritten law on the subject still kept—at least in
|oncerning the England—more rigidly enforced in America, and
abstract question but slightly relaxed in France. For a picture to
of "The Nude be sufficiently conventional for the taste of buyers,
in Art " little the Nude must be very sparingly introduced,
need be said Bathers and the nursery toilette have been indeed
here. Civilised ■ added of late to the list of allowable subjects for
peoples, espe- decorous exhibition, and allegorical presentations
cially the Latin of abstract personalities, such as " Night " or
races, have ac- " Morning" have extended the list of imaginary
cepted the super- beings who may appear in public, naked ' and
lative beauty of unashamed ; but it is forbidden, as a rule, to depict
the human form contemporary humanity seen in the way that, as a
as one of the matter of fact, it is rarely seen by contemporaries,
chief elements in and in this lies the chief argument of its opponents,
the classic ideal Many excellent people have so genuine a dislike
of art. It can- to the Nude that, although one regrets their
not be denied prejudice, and entirely refuses to grant their case
that mediaeval even for the sake of argument, yet at the same
thought was op- time it is impossible to doubt their honesty, or to
posed to its pre- do other than respect their attitude, however
sentation, nor mistaken it may be. The subject of Photography
that in many from the figure in the studio is not raised
later periods of here ; indeed, it may yet be questioned if
Art, the Nude has it has any very powerful excuse to urge in its
been shunned ; favour. That rapidity of record which is the most
but one may important feature in the work of the camera in the
fairly claim that open air may be as applicable for indoor work, but
reverence for the beauty of the figure existed even in the circumstances of the case do not impose any
schools which held its representation for its own peculiar haste. Studio lighting offers less difficult
sake inadmissible. Some few subjects in Bible problems to solve, or rather gives more time for their
story and certain pagan legends, wherein unclothed solution ; and there the unclothed figure seems to
actors were necessary to depict the subject, have be out of accord with its surroundings, unrelated
enjoyed a suspiciously wide and lasting popularity. and artificial. Out of doors, it is obviously more a
Covered with a garb of sanctity, or dignified by part of the landscape than figures in costume could
the literature of a past age, in almost every school be, since it is evident that Nature, the greatest
of painting it has been held within the province of artist, designed human beings, in common with
good taste to portray Adam and Eve, Susannah, animals, to harmonise with other natural objects.
FROM A PHOTOGRAPH BY BARON CORVO
IO4
THE NUDE IN PHOTOGRAPHY: St Sebastian> Andromeda, Leander, and other
WITH SOME STUDIES TAKEN heroes and heroines, sacred and profane, even where
IN THE OPEN AIR a stuc^' °^ l'le Nude on its own merits was for-
bidden. Coming to modern times, we find the
unwritten law on the subject still kept—at least in
|oncerning the England—more rigidly enforced in America, and
abstract question but slightly relaxed in France. For a picture to
of "The Nude be sufficiently conventional for the taste of buyers,
in Art " little the Nude must be very sparingly introduced,
need be said Bathers and the nursery toilette have been indeed
here. Civilised ■ added of late to the list of allowable subjects for
peoples, espe- decorous exhibition, and allegorical presentations
cially the Latin of abstract personalities, such as " Night " or
races, have ac- " Morning" have extended the list of imaginary
cepted the super- beings who may appear in public, naked ' and
lative beauty of unashamed ; but it is forbidden, as a rule, to depict
the human form contemporary humanity seen in the way that, as a
as one of the matter of fact, it is rarely seen by contemporaries,
chief elements in and in this lies the chief argument of its opponents,
the classic ideal Many excellent people have so genuine a dislike
of art. It can- to the Nude that, although one regrets their
not be denied prejudice, and entirely refuses to grant their case
that mediaeval even for the sake of argument, yet at the same
thought was op- time it is impossible to doubt their honesty, or to
posed to its pre- do other than respect their attitude, however
sentation, nor mistaken it may be. The subject of Photography
that in many from the figure in the studio is not raised
later periods of here ; indeed, it may yet be questioned if
Art, the Nude has it has any very powerful excuse to urge in its
been shunned ; favour. That rapidity of record which is the most
but one may important feature in the work of the camera in the
fairly claim that open air may be as applicable for indoor work, but
reverence for the beauty of the figure existed even in the circumstances of the case do not impose any
schools which held its representation for its own peculiar haste. Studio lighting offers less difficult
sake inadmissible. Some few subjects in Bible problems to solve, or rather gives more time for their
story and certain pagan legends, wherein unclothed solution ; and there the unclothed figure seems to
actors were necessary to depict the subject, have be out of accord with its surroundings, unrelated
enjoyed a suspiciously wide and lasting popularity. and artificial. Out of doors, it is obviously more a
Covered with a garb of sanctity, or dignified by part of the landscape than figures in costume could
the literature of a past age, in almost every school be, since it is evident that Nature, the greatest
of painting it has been held within the province of artist, designed human beings, in common with
good taste to portray Adam and Eve, Susannah, animals, to harmonise with other natural objects.
FROM A PHOTOGRAPH BY BARON CORVO
IO4