ETERNAL BODY: A Collection of Fifty Nudes

In her private quest to "simplify, isolate, and give emphasis to form with greatest clarity," acclaimed photographer Ruth Bernhard (1905-2006) passionately created a collection of images that rank among the most profound and significant photographs of the female nude. She worked with Ansel Adams (who dubbed her "the greatest photographer of the nude"), Edward Weston and Imogen Cunningham and it shows. She re envisioned the female nude in the abstract language of the black and white print which are focussed meditations on the beauty and strength of the life force itself. See Dark Torso with Hands, 1971, a cross legged seated figure Within 1969 and the chignon bun in an image Draped Torso from behind 1962. The 1945 In The Wave is especially mesmerising. Originally published in 1986, it is the first collection of Bernhard's finest nudes to be presented in a single, elegant monograph. The photographs selected, some of which have never been exhibited, unveil the full range of her genius. This collection expresses her lifelong passion to understand the effects of light on the body and to revel in its purest form. Each radiant photograph contains a classic perfection, giving it a sense of the eternal and making it a timeless masterpiece of the human figure. Featuring an insightful new foreword by Karen Sinsheimer, curator of photography at the Santa Barbara Museum of Art, and an illuminating biography by photographer Margaretta Mitchell, this reissue of a landmark photography book honours one of the most significant artists of the last century. B/w photos. 25.4 x 25.4cm. 132 pages.
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