Early Erotic Photography

by Serge Nazarieff

Nude photography did not begin with "Playboy." Until the advent of photographic reproduction in the mid-nineteenth century, portrayal of the naked body - preferably female - was the painter's prerogative. Whereas painting usually veiled sensuality with religious or mythological connotations, nude photography revealed it directly and without inhibition. Although classic poses from the fine arts are often copied, the photographic model's inviting expression or lascivious gesture addresses the observer much more immediately.

A woman you can almost touch, yet who is captured only on paper - the erotically suggestive aura of these pictures has not lost its subtile effect even today.

Serge Nazarieff was born in 1935 in Lausanne (Switzerland). After studying literature and philosophy at the universities of Geneva and Paris, he took up photography. Today he works mainly as a photographic historian and presents the results of his research on early nude photography in this book.

Genres: Photography

200 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1993

Reviews

[Ietrio · Rating 1 out of 5]

The women are naked indeed. The photographers are whatever dropped in the author's lap: some of them being left with "we don't know much about his life". Yea, and the royal we, although the cover specifies just one name.

As for erotic, well, the paintings of the era were far more sexual. These are usually classic poses by anonymous women.

[Ellison · Rating 4 out of 5]

Shares profiles of photographers then images that were created at the beginning of photography, insightful.

[H]

Some biographies are quite funny. Frequent 'we don't know exactly what happened to him's made everything look lazy though; they might as well be left out in the first place. Interesting overall.