Wilhelm von Gloeden was ill. So ill, in fact, that he had to leave Germany to build a new life for himself in Sicily. But just then his career took off, even though he only took photographs out of passion. Wilhelm von Gloeden was a German photographer who is considered one of the pioneers of artistic nude photography. However, before devoting himself to photography, he studied art history and painting, while he had a passionate inclination towards theater. However, he fell ill with a severe lung disease, which from then on made it impossible for him to stay in Germany. Therefore, he moved to Sicily in 1876, where he first recorded all his impressions as an amateur photographer. His cousin took care of him and from him he learned most of the photographic knowledge. This also brought him into contact with the impoverished local population, in which he showed great interest. He wanted to help. So he created accounts for many of his photo models, on which he paid a part of the profit on it.
He eventually became famous for his nudes of Sicilian boys with antiquing props and costumes. He was inspired by the uninhibited relationship of the population to nudity, which never existed in such a way in Germany - there rather an anti-body image and prudery prevailed. In addition, he was homosexual, which was largely accepted in Taormina and is also reflected in the staging of his models. That he became a full-time photographer, however, was only due to his family's financial need - before that, it was only the love of photography that drove him. Due to the reputation he had already created in Sicily, he quickly became popular through further various exhibitions throughout Europe. But von Gloeden also made portrait studies of local farm workers or photographed the landscapes that literally captivated him.
His photographs benefit from the controlled use of lighting as well as the elegant poses of his models. In addition, he was the first photographer to use a kind of first body makeup to conceal the impure skin of his photographic models. His work, however, was not easy. Von Gloeden worked exclusively with plate cameras, which required long exposure times. As a result, his photographs had to be carefully staged, which often gave his works a great sense of calm. In addition, he always carried a darkroom with him, as the process he used required this in order to evaluate the photos directly. He was also one of the first photographers to take nudes outdoors, which put him ahead of his time. During his lifetime he made over 3000 pictures, but most of them were destroyed under the accusation of pornography.
Wilhelm von Gloeden was ill. So ill, in fact, that he had to leave Germany to build a new life for himself in Sicily. But just then his career took off, even though he only took photographs out of passion. Wilhelm von Gloeden was a German photographer who is considered one of the pioneers of artistic nude photography. However, before devoting himself to photography, he studied art history and painting, while he had a passionate inclination towards theater. However, he fell ill with a severe lung disease, which from then on made it impossible for him to stay in Germany. Therefore, he moved to Sicily in 1876, where he first recorded all his impressions as an amateur photographer. His cousin took care of him and from him he learned most of the photographic knowledge. This also brought him into contact with the impoverished local population, in which he showed great interest. He wanted to help. So he created accounts for many of his photo models, on which he paid a part of the profit on it.
He eventually became famous for his nudes of Sicilian boys with antiquing props and costumes. He was inspired by the uninhibited relationship of the population to nudity, which never existed in such a way in Germany - there rather an anti-body image and prudery prevailed. In addition, he was homosexual, which was largely accepted in Taormina and is also reflected in the staging of his models. That he became a full-time photographer, however, was only due to his family's financial need - before that, it was only the love of photography that drove him. Due to the reputation he had already created in Sicily, he quickly became popular through further various exhibitions throughout Europe. But von Gloeden also made portrait studies of local farm workers or photographed the landscapes that literally captivated him.
His photographs benefit from the controlled use of lighting as well as the elegant poses of his models. In addition, he was the first photographer to use a kind of first body makeup to conceal the impure skin of his photographic models. His work, however, was not easy. Von Gloeden worked exclusively with plate cameras, which required long exposure times. As a result, his photographs had to be carefully staged, which often gave his works a great sense of calm. In addition, he always carried a darkroom with him, as the process he used required this in order to evaluate the photos directly. He was also one of the first photographers to take nudes outdoors, which put him ahead of his time. During his lifetime he made over 3000 pictures, but most of them were destroyed under the accusation of pornography.
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