The Nude: A Study in Ideal Form
The Nude: A Study in Ideal Form by Kenneth Clark, published by Doubleday Anchor in 1959, is a comprehensive exploration of the representation of the human body throughout history. This edition spans 575 pages and is presented in English. The book traces the evolution of nude depictions, beginning with ancient Greek art, which utilized the nude to convey fundamental human needs, and continuing through the Renaissance, highlighting the works of Michelangelo and others.
Readers will find an in-depth analysis of how the nude has served as a source of inspiration across various artistic movements. Clark examines the revival of these themes in 15th-century Italy and the ongoing influence of the female form in the works of artists like Titian, Rubens, Ingres, and Renoir. The book also addresses the complex relationship modern artists, such as Matisse and Picasso, have had with the nude, providing a rich context for understanding its significance in art history.
Official synopsis Publisher
The author traces the history of the depiction of the human body from the earliest civilized times to the present day. Starting with the Greeks who used the nude to express certain fundamental human needs, such as the need for harmony and order (Apollo), and the need to sublimate desire (Venus), he shows how these types of bodily expression were revived in 15th-century Italy and given new urgency by Michelangelo, whose genius almost exhausted the possibilities of the male nude. The female body, however, through Titian, Rubens, Ingres and Renoir has continued to be a source of pictorial inspiration, and the author examines the uneasy relationship with the nude of such moderns as Matisse and Picasso.
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