Researching a show on body-builders and wrestlers for my private blog, I came across these fabulous French photoproofs, dated 1875: studies of the nude male form. The photographer is Louis Jean Baptiste Igout (1837-1881), and you can see another set of his nudes on Flicker and elsewhere.
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these are really incredible
Thanks, Gloria! One of my dads is a body-builder, who likes the male form (and, is a little 'bi'). He is sure to appreciate these ...
Interesting pics, I always like your stuff, but body builder? I guess the bar has been (raised?) and our gym equipment (and performance enhancing drugs) have vastly improved since the late 1800's. Because this just looks like a random naked guy. If he had told me online he was a body builder, I'd have sent him home at the door.
And interestingly, the poses are really girly. I'm just sayin'. Don't get all excited. But they are.
Mark
Of course, that's only YOUR opinion, Mark... just sayin'.
Actually, I thought so too, Mark.
And you are stunningly ignorant about the era or history. Just sayin'.
If you think my ignorance on nude late 1800's photography is stunning, just quiz me on world geography. I'm a moron!
Fortunately, I'm teachable. And I've learned that making honest observations about, say, the difference in "popular" gay body types then and now, usually lead to my being educated on the matter, your remark notwithstanding, Jude.
Great post, Dr. Brame. thank you!
I think the guy's hot, I don't know what people are saying.
I am an artist and I regularly draw nude men. Of course, the ones I find very interesting are those in a book by Eadweard Muybridge of about 1880, called "The Human Figure in Motion". The photos above resemble his work. I love drawing men I find them incredibility beautiful.
Richard Hodges
iputnam1776@aol.com
Fantastic! I've always considered the male body beautiful, including way before I recognized that I'm actually a gay man. I thought I just had good taste...silly me. Truly, though, male nudes have taken a major backseat to females over the decades. Playboy and its ilk were seen as "valuable" magazines, while most of us had to slip our copies of Blueboy or Playgirl behind another periodical to avoid being seen at the local newsstand and inadvertently outed.
Gloria, thank you for unearthing these photos - more evidence of the beauty of the male figure.