The Nude

In Ancient Greek and Roman culture nudity was a state that set a person apart.  People were represented nude when they were striving for the peak of achievement or if they were the elite, the gods.  It was about putting them at the pinnacle. It was rarely about sexuality. The nude study is one of the most challenging forms of art.

"The painter of the nude faces an ongoing challenge.  The subject, whatever the esoteric elegance, represents an aesthetic ideal.  The onlooker holds the artist accountable."