Nude Sculpture: 5000 Years

The human form has inspired some of the finest sculpture in art history. It also evokes in the viewer complex reactions.

Looking at magnificent nude sculptures by Michelangelo, Rodin, Henry Moore, and other great artists, we are in awe of the beauty and power of the art, as well as of the nude figure. But we may also experience other emotions, perhaps uncomfortably close to those we feel when we see an unclothed human body. This astonishing work provides a visual survey of nude sculpture throughout the ages, enhanced by an illuminating essay by noted critic Vicki Goldberg probing our various responses to this most realistic art form. While photographs distance us from the art works they depict, they also offer close-up details that permit us to see nude sculptures in new and surprising ways. Photographer David Finn, who has expanded the way we look at art in Abrams' How-to-Look-at titles, enables us — through his remarkable photographs — to glimpse the sculptor's creative process as well as the qualities of presence, texture, and detail that give the finest sculpture its grace and majesty.

About the Authors:

David Finn is a writer and photographer whose acclaimed images have illustrated several books on Italian Renaissance and contemporary sculpture. His Abrams books How to Look at Photographs, How to Visit a Museum, How to Look at Sculpture, and How to Look at Everything have delighted readers looking for an introduction to the appreciation of fine art. He lives in Westchester County, New York.

Vicki Goldberg has written extensively on art and photography for the New York Times, American Photo, and Vanity Fair. She lives in New York City.