Il nudo maschile

Speranza

Our inherited conventions for representing the nude, especially where an element of eroticism is involved, have now for several centuries been based on the FEMALE rather than the MALE body.

For example, it is surprising how narrow the range of basic poses seems to be -- poses which illustrate allure, invitation, vulnerability, surrender.

When the male body assumes these poses, the result can seem jarringly androgynous.

On the other hand, if the homosexual artist decides to DISCARD all these conventions, he seems apt to go too far in the other direction, producing images of exaggerated force.

In either case, whether feminised or brutal, his art is corrupted by sentimentality -- a falseness of feeling which can undermine even the most considerable technical powers.