“Both Huene and I had this extraordinary feeling about Greece. The physical beauty of the men and women, the sun and the fresh air and the sea”
~ Horst P. Horst
This love and respect for Greece and its culture and antiquities spilled over into Horst’s imagery.
In this image of an anonymous man in a pose that accentuates the shape and form of his body which is further enhanced by focused lighting that creates areas of highlight and deep shadow, Horst gives us one of his most sensuous of his male nudes. The final effect is one of minimalism as the body is rendered in clear, simplified lines and his skin becomes as smooth as marble, liking the nude to an art piece, a veritable Greek God. Here Horst invites the viewer to appreciate the beauty of the male body in the same reverent way that one would view a great classical piece of sculpture by Michelangelo.
