The Nude: a study in ideal form: National gallery of Art, Washington: 1953

From the art of the Greeks to that of Renoir and Moore, this work surveys the ever-changing fashions in what has constituted the ideal nude as a basis of humanist form. These A.W. Mellon lectures delivered at the National Art Gallery in Washington DC in 1953 and here presented with 298 illustrations explore the tradition of the nude in western sculpture and painting from the Greeks to Picasso. A landmark study of the nude in art—from the ancient Greeks to Henry Moore—by a towering figure in art historyIn 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. From the art of the Greeks to that of Renoir and Moore, this work surveys the ever-changing fashions in what has constituted the ideal nude as a basis of humanist form. 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. This volume surveys the ever-changing fashions in what has constituted the ideal nude as a basis of humanist form, from the art of the Greeks to that of Renoir and Henry Moore. The author distinguishes between "naked" and "nude" with relation to cultural, philosophic, and religious attitudes in the classic and Western Christian worlds. He analyzes the postures, gestures, poses, and body formations of the undressed human figure. His definition of the nude -- a "balanced, prosperous, and confident body: the body re-formed" came at the end of a century-long debate about what should be allowed in representation and justifies the pursuit of contemplating the female body as a pure aesthetic experience Sir Kenneth Clark offers an historical and critical appraisal of the role of nude figures in the portrayal of beauty, energy, pathos and ecstasy in classic and Renaissance art Kenneth Clark. Reprint. Originally Published: 1956. Includes Bibliographical References (pages [415]-421) And Index.