The Renaissance Nude
The Renaissance Nude

Author: Thomas Kren

Publisher: Getty Publications

Published: 2018-11-20

Total Pages: 436

ISBN-13: 160606584X

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A gloriously illustrated examination of the origins and development of the nude as an artistic subject in Renaissance Europe Reflecting an era when Europe looked to both the classical past and a global future, this volume explores the emergence and acceptance of the nude as an artistic subject. It engages with the numerous and complex connotations of the human body in more than 250 artworks by the greatest masters of the Renaissance. Paintings, sculptures, prints, drawings, illuminated manuscripts, and book illustrations reveal private, sometimes shocking, preoccupations as well as surprising public beliefs—the Age of Humanism from an entirely new perspective. This book presents works by Albrecht Dürer, Lucas Cranach, and Martin Schongauer in the north and Donatello, Raphael, and Giorgione in the south; it also introduces names that deserve to be known better. A publication this rich in scholarship could only be produced by a variety of expert scholars; the sixteen contributors are preeminent in their fields and wide-ranging in their knowledge and curiosity. The structure of the volume—essays alternating with shorter texts on individual artworks—permits studies both broad and granular. From the religious to the magical and the poetic to the erotic, encompassing male and female, infancy, youth, and old age, The Renaissance Nude examines in a profound way what it is to be human.

The Nude
The Nude

Author: Kenneth Clark

Publisher: Princeton University Press

Published: 2023-10-17

Total Pages: 480

ISBN-13: 0691252890

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A landmark study of the nude in art—from the ancient Greeks to Henry Moore—by a towering figure in art history In this classic book, Kenneth Clark, one of the most eminent art historians of the twentieth century, examines the ever-changing fashion in what constitutes the ideal nude as a basis of humanist form, from the art of the ancient Greeks to that of Renoir, Matisse, and Henry Moore. The Nude reveals the sensitivity of aesthetic theory to fashion, what distinguishes the naked from the nude, and just why the nude has played such an important role in art history. As Clark writes, “The nude gains its enduring value from the fact that it reconciles several contrary states. It takes the most sensual and immediately interesting object, the human body, and puts it out of reach of time and desire; it takes the most purely rational concept of which man is capable, mathematical order, and makes it a delight to the senses; and it takes the vague fears of the unknown and sweetens them by showing that the gods are like men and may be worshipped for their life-giving beauty rather than their death-dealing powers.” Please note: All images in this ebook are presented in black and white and have been reduced in size.

Filthy Material
Filthy Material

Author: Chris Forster

Publisher:

Published: 2019

Total Pages: 233

ISBN-13: 0190840862

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Modernist literature is inextricable from the history of obscenity. The trials of figures like James Joyce, D. H. Lawrence, and Radclyffe Hall loom large in accounts twentieth century literature. Filthy Material: Modernism and The Media of Obscenity reveals the ways that debates about obscenity and literature were shaped by changes in the history of media. Judgments about obscenity, which hinged on understanding how texts were circulated and read, were often proxies for the changing place of literature in an age of new technological media. The emergence of film, photography, and new printing technologies shaped how literary value was understood, altering how obscenity was defined and which texts were considered obscene. Filthy Material rereads the history of obscenity in order to discover a history of technological media behind debates about moral corruption and sexual explicitness. The shift from the intense censorship of the early twentieth century to the effective 'end of obscenity' for literature at the middle of the century, it argues, is not simply a product of cultural liberalization but of a changing media ecology. Filthy Material brings together media theory and archival research to offer a fresh account of modernist obscenity and novel readings of works of modernist literature. It sheds new light on figures at the center of modernism's obscenity trials (such as Joyce and Lawrence), demonstrates the relevance of the discourse obscenity to understanding figures not typically associated with obscenity debates (like T. S. Eliot and Wyndham Lewis), and introduces new figures to our account of modernism (like Norah James and Jack Kahane). It reveals how modernist obscenity reflected a contest over the literary in the face of new media technologies.

iPhoneography Pro
iPhoneography Pro

Author: Robert Morrissey

Publisher: Amherst Media

Published: 2015-08-11

Total Pages: 128

ISBN-13: 1608957128

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The iPhone is revolutionizing photography. Never before has a camera been so portable yet powerful, so versatile and ubiquitous. Yet, as this book shows, this amazing device has untapped potential for taking jaw-droppingly detailed, sharp, professional-quality images. In this book, commercial photographer Robert Morrissey investigates the photographic capabilities of the iPhone, right out of the box, then moves to advanced uses that will surprise even seasoned photographers. Starting with the basics, Morrissey teaches readers critical strategies for taking great pictures—from how to properly hold your phone, to how and why to use the flash. You’ll learn simple ideas for improving your photos—from crafting a strong composition to posing subjects for flattering results. Next, you’ll learn to use the iPhone’s panoramic and HDR features to take your imaging to the next level. You’ll also get some great insights into how to photograph action, scenes with non-average tones, landscapes, and much more—with natural light and flash. The power of the iPhone grows exponentially when the photographer downloads applications (“apps”)—incredible free and/or inexpensive software programs that add a mind boggling array of photographic options and features to the phone. Morrissey shows how to choose and use apps that allow for the use of ultrafast frame-per-second capture rates, old film (Tri-X and T-Max) emulsions, incredible filter and lens effects, unique borders, and much, much more. There is a large market for iPhone accessories, and many of them are geared toward pros. Many shooters are now using bracketing systems that allow for the attachment of professional DSLR-type camera lenses, an invention that takes their capture capabilities to surprising new heights. Accessories are also available that allow the iPhone to be mounted to a tripod or even a dolly for video shoots. Armed with this book, you’ll learn to create technically sound, artistically inventive photos of any subject for any end use—from web use, to wall-size prints, to gallery presentation.

The Soft Touch
The Soft Touch

Author:

Publisher: Amherst Media

Published: 2015-10-19

Total Pages: 128

ISBN-13: 1608959503

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Image sharpness is one of photography’s yin/yang propositions. Soft focus can impair a photograph, and just as readily enhance it—in some cases, greatly enhance it. What we perceive as blur, as soft zones in a picture, function in very much the same manner as deep shadows or overexposed highlights. By minimizing or concealing certain details in the image by selectively throwing areas out of focus at will, the photographer can direct a viewer’s attention through the image as he or she intends. Like the rest stops in a piece of music, creatively manipulated zones of softness can totally govern a photograph’s overall impact. There are dozens of ways to selectively reduce sharpness in any part of an image, and three important reasons for a photographer to be fluent in his or her ability to create a soft-focus look: (1) to emphasize important picture details by subordinating or eliminating others; (2) to reduce or remove details of a subject that undermine a picture’s intent, and (3) to create a mood impression, an aura, that suggests something about a subject that doesn’t actually appear in the frame. In this book, Jim Cornfield surveys in detail the art of selectively using soft focus in your photography. Readers will learn about the history of soft-focus photography, then move to technical discussions for creating the effect in-camera (taking advantage of spherical aberrations, circles of confusion, and bokeh—the way a lens, due to its unique properties and specific aperture shape, renders image areas that lie outside of the focus range—often described as “good” or “bad” bokeh). Next, readers will move on to a study of post-capture image manipulations using Photoshop and third-party plugins in order to re-create traditional effects. Finally, the author includes an appendix of currently available optical and digital products intended for the creative application of soft-focus effects. Armed with the tools needed to produce a predictable soft-focus look, readers will be able to expand their photographic repertoire for enhanced artistic expression and stand-out work that will draw clients and generate client referrals.

No More Unsworth Manor Nudes
No More Unsworth Manor Nudes

Author: P.Z. Walker

Publisher: P.Z. Walker

Published:

Total Pages: 178

ISBN-13:

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Unsworth Manor has become a focal point of the good and naked life. So much so, even, that Avery and Tracy have to start looking for a location that's better suited for such a gathering. Count Gustav von Hohenstaufen has a number of surprises lined up for everyone who knows him, and a nasty 'distant relative' is set on making life for the Montagues quite difficult. There are many dramatic moments unfolding for the naturist community in the town of Measham, but with some effort, things all work out for a while. This is the third and final book in the "Unworth Manor Nudes" trilogy.

Alternative Nudes
Alternative Nudes

Author: Yucel Yalim

Publisher: Amherst Media

Published: 2015-03-17

Total Pages: 130

ISBN-13: 1608958671

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We?ve all heard the idiom, ?Sometimes, less is more.? When it comes to photographing the female form, the ?more? is sometimes ?more trouble.? Without concealing wardrobe options, traditional poses, and unique props or scenic locales to avert the viewer?s gaze, he or she is presented with a nude subject that must, somehow, look confident, alluring, artistic, evocative, and provocative. As the artist in charge of accomplishing this great feat, you?re presented with one tall order. This book provides a behind-the-scenes look at every nuance of the creation of a range of nude and figure images. Focusing primarily on lighting and posing, author Yucel Yalim shows how to create dramatic, dimensional curves and highlight your subject?s best assets with minimal effort, staple equipment, and maximum impact. For each portrait, readers will learn about the concept behind the image, the challenges that had to be met, and how careful posing and lighting choices were made to create a dimensional and compelling view of the woman in front of the lens. Whether you are looking for unique poses, want to learn how playing with various lenses can help you build your repertoire, or want to investigate your post-processing options for creating a stronger, more creative image, this book will open your eyes to countless new approaches. Complete with rationale regarding the hows and whys behind the artistic decisions made, you?ll come away from this book with a solid foundation for producing exquisite, beautifully executed images perfectly tailored to your model?s unique look or interest. This book contains detailed lighting diagrams that help readers understand how to duplicate the style and mood in their own images.

The Space of Sex
The Space of Sex

Author: Shelton Waldrep

Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing USA

Published: 2021-05-20

Total Pages: 434

ISBN-13: 1501333062

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As film and television become ever more focused on the pornographic gaze of the camera, the human body undergoes a metamorphosis, becoming both landscape and building, part of an architectonic design in which the erotics of the body spread beyond the body itself to influence the design of the film or televisual shot. The body becomes the mise-en-scène of contemporary moving imagery. Opening The Space of Sex, Shelton Waldrep sets up some important tropes for the book: the movement between high and low art; the emphasis on the body, looking, and framing; the general intermedial and interdisciplinary methodology of the book as a whole. The Space of Sex's second half focuses on how sex, gender, and sexuality are represented in several recent films, including Paul Schrader's The Canyons (2013), Oliver Stone's Savages (2012), Steven Soderbergh's Magic Mike (2012), Lars Von Trier's Nymphomaniac (2013), and Joseph Gordon-Levitt's Don Jon (2013). Each of these mainstream or independent movies, and several more, are examined for the ways they have attempted to absorb pornography, if not the pornography industry specifically, into their plot. According to Waldrep, the utopian elements of seventies porn get reprocessed in a complex way in the twenty-first century as both a utopian impulse-the desire to have sex on the screen, to re-eroticize sex as something positive and lacking in shame-with a mixed feeling about pornography itself, with an industry that can be seen in a dystopian light. In other words, sex, in our contemporary world, still does not come without compromise.

Rembrandt and the Female Nude
Rembrandt and the Female Nude

Author: Eric Jan Sluijter

Publisher: Amsterdam University Press

Published: 2006

Total Pages: 452

ISBN-13: 9053568379

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Rembrandt’s extraordinary paintings of female nudes—Andromeda, Susanna, Diana and her Nymphs, Danaë, Bathsheba—as well as his etchings of nude women, have fascinated many generations of art lovers and art historians. But they also elicited vehement criticism when first shown, described as against-the-grain, anticlassical—even ugly and unpleasant. However, Rembrandt chose conventional subjects, kept close to time-honored pictorial schemes, and was well aware of the high prestige accorded to the depiction of the naked female body. Why, then, do these works deviate so radically from the depictions of nude women by other artists? To answer this question Eric Jan Sluijter, in Rembrandt and the Female Nude, examines Rembrandt’s paintings and etchings against the background of established pictorial traditions in the Netherlands and Italy. Exploring Rembrandt’s intense dialogue with the works of predecessors and peers, Sluijter demonstrates that, more than any other artist, Rembrandt set out to incite the greatest possible empathy in the viewer, an approach that had far-reaching consequences for the moral and erotic implications of the subjects Rembrandt chose to depict. In this richly illustrated study, Sluijter presents an innovative approach to Rembrandt’s views on the art of painting, his attitude towards antiquity and Italian art of the Renaissance, his sustained rivalry with the works of other artists, his handling of the moral and erotic issues inherent in subjects with female nudes, and the nature of his artistic choices.