Odèles Italiens. Sicile (Photo Album)

n/a: n/a. Hardcover. Very good to near fine condition. Large Folio (14 7/8 x 12 1/2"). 12 plates. Bound in cream half leather over glossy marbled boards with gilt lettering and ruling on black labels of spine, raised bands. Marbled endpapers. The twelve photographs are pasted to heavy light blue boards with bright light linen borders at gutter.

An important pre-World War I photographer von Gloeden is mostly know for his pastoral nude studies of Sicilian boys. He utilizes body makeup, controlled lighting, special filters and tints to create elegant (truncated) homoerotic portraits, for which his models were well paid. The full-length and portrait nude males range in age from adolescent to young adult, present the form frontally in all but three cases, and are situated around a countryside house, garden or private terrace.

The photos in this album are taken as single portraits and groupings of two. At least one of which is a putative portrait of Von Gloeden's model, later assistant, pupil and longtime lover Pancrazio Bucini (II Moro). In quintessential Von Gloeden style, a classical ambiance of Greek or Roman antiquity is evoked by the use of props such as togas, head wreaths, flowers, palm fronds, fur, or traditional blankets. One portrait showing a young adult wearing a shirt.

Light wear along edges of binding and leather lightly rubbed. First two and last plate with light foxing in margins, not affecting photographs. (Inventory #: 54577)