If you look closely, you can see that the model is wearing some sort of jock or posing strap.
Even so, his appearance before female students would have been risque' at the time.
The photo came to me captioned: "Artistic Anatomy Class, 1900."
Je connais beaucoup d'élèves qui ce soir-là n'ont pas du s'endormir tout de suite !!! LOLLLL
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I know many students who did not fall asleep that night !!! Lollll
Heaven forfend that the ladies should gaze upon the joy of their marital bliss.
ReplyDeleteThey would have seen it if had they been in Thomas Eakins' class.
DeleteI wonder how the model felt, having to wear a posing strap? Would he have been happy to model nude for female art students? Did they ask the female students would they prefer a fully nude model? I'm assuming that at this time most students would be male and already drawing fully nude female models? I've never been asked to wear one, but model friends have. Personally I'd go for drapery instead.
ReplyDeleteI'm no expert, but I'm guessing the model might have been surprised to be in front of women at all, strap or no strap. The students were probably glad to have a male anatomical model at all.
DeleteIt looks continental. I'm not sure when female students were first admitted to art collages here. I'm guessing France or Germany might be the first. I've found women enjoy drawing me. I often get it is an opportunity to seriously examine the male physique.
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