Galdi

Once a nude model for Von Pluschow, Vincenzo Galdi took up

 photography himself, and this is one of his better works, imho.

 

Galdi

My source says this is by Vincenzo Galdi.

 

Vincenzo Galdi Day

Vincenzo Galdi (1871-1961) was an art student turned model turned photographer who had Wilhelm von Pluschow as either his mentor, his lover, or both, depending on whom you want to believe.  The two von Pluschow photos above and below are dated at 1890 when he was 19, but the older photographer took more than a few while the young Galdi was under age.  The remainder in this series are by Galdi himself with one questionable at the end.  For an interesting take on this man's potboiler of a life, visit the wiki at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vincenzo_Galdi

 

Antique Erotic

Our first Vincenzo Galdi photo is one I found on a great tumblr called Antique Erotic.  Alas, the owner had stopped publishing when tumblr banned nudity and never came back anywhere else to my knowledge.  This sylvan setting leaves me, for once. wishing for color in a 1900s photo.

 

Victoria and Albert

When I visited the Victoria and Albert Museum in London last year, this Galdi photo was on display.  I could not, however, get a decent shot of it on my phone's camera.  This is from the V&A website.

 

More than friends?

The knowing glance these two are exchanging ma,es me think they may have been portraying more than just friends.  Also, we get a somewhat rare 1900s era view of visible body hair at left.

 

Head shot

Both von Gloeden and von Pluschow did some stunning head shots of mature men, 

but this was the best I could find by Galdi.  Most of his were cherubic 

under age boys, but at least he only showed those from the neck up.

 

Harsh

The lighting here is on the harsh side, but is works somehow.

 

Tan Lines?

Despite a believable attribution to Mr. Galdi, 

the tan lines in this photo just throw me off.

Did young men wear shorts like that in 1905?

 

Handsome Model

I wish we had more photos of this handsome model.

 

Leopard Skin

It was relatively rare for Vincenzo Galdi to photograph young men in costumes, something that both his mentor von Pluschow and v.P.'s cousin von Gloeden did on a regular basis.  The fanciful use of the leopard skin and its tail have some ribald implications that might account for the model's grin.

 

Repeat model

This model shows up on a regular basis in compilations of Vincenzo Galdi's work.  

Here he has his left hand on a whilte wall and something in his right.  If it were

 120 years later, I'd say it was a used face mask left over from Covid.

 

Who did it?

Our last photo is one that I have seen attributed to Galdi, von Pluschow, and von Gloeden.

Google Images search turned up believable reference to all three.

 

19th Century Day

 

It's 19th Century Day on the blog and we start with a man on a couch by Vincenzo Galdi.

 

Von Gloeden?

This is page 69 from a book of masculine nudes.  It came to me with no information, although the model and the leopard skin make me think von Gloeden, but Google Images says it is by Galdi.

 

Vincenzo Galdi

This early 20th Century work by Vincenzo Galdi is one of his best known for obvious reasons.  

The model was nicknamed, appropiately enough, Il Serpente.

 

Vincenzo Galdi Day

Although there were several 19th Century photographers who occasionally posed nude, 

Vincenzo Galdi is the earliest example I have found of a model who went on to become a 

photographer.  A model and disciple of Guglielmo von Pluschow, he went onto achieve success

 in both nude work and high quality portraiture.  Recently, I have seen quite a few 

of his works for sale on line, and that's where I found most of today's pictures. 

 

Antique Erotic

I found this photo on an old tumblr blog called Antique Erotic.

I really miss that guy's well curated offerings.

 

Roman

Even the footwear here fits the Roman theme.

 

1900

The wheel is almost a distraction in this Galdi photo from 1900.