Followers

Tuesday, April 20, 2021

Wilhelm (aka, Guglielmo) von Pluschow


Wilhelm von Pluschow was the older cousin of the better known Wilhelm von Gloeden.  They both decamped from Germany to Italy in the 19th Century and took up photographing (and bedding) young men.  Their work is sometimes confused with each other's and that of von Gloeden's lover Galdi, who also did nude photography.  So it's no surprise if you've seen conflicting attributions for their work.  We start with a photo that is relatively simple compared to much of von Pluschow's work.

 

6 comments:

  1. The model looks Indian/Pakistani. Did von Pluschow work in that area at all?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. No, all the models in my collection are said to be Italian. Sicily, however, was invaded by Arabs a thousand years ago, so that might be where you pick up that influence in this guy's looks. The places you mention aren't Arab, though.

      Delete
    2. Just goes to show you how varied we humans can be, eh?

      Delete
    3. Sicily was ruled by Normans, Saracens, Byzantines, Spanish, French, etc.
      Each has left their mark on the island. In customs, culture and in particular the cuisine. In looks Sicilians run the gamut from European, Arabic and even Latino.
      -Rj in the IE

      Delete
  2. Both von Pluschow's and von Gloeden's work remains a very good example of how little censorship there was at the time, an epoch guided by the Victorian Classical Revival, male relationships understood within the Platonic ideal, and the male nude seen as pure art, without homoerotic overtones. A generation later, and their work would be criminalized.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Criminalized and vandalized. A considerable amount of their work was destroyed in the 20th C.

      Delete