Title: Drawings of the Male Nude
Author: Don Bachardy
Publisher: Twin Palms Publishers, 1985
Illustrations by Don Bachardy; 96 pages, 43 black and white plates
In his introductory text to this exquisitely produced volume, Don Bachardy wrote that he considered each of the drawings presented to be “simply portraits of men without their clothes on.” It is true that these drawings appear to be simple, rendered with sparing lines but with remarkable patches of detail. They seem effortless and graceful though the sessions would sometimes last upward of four hours. However, Bachardy’s masterful draftsmanship is certainly not the most fascinating element of this book. His emphasis the on private, personal detail invites the reader into an emotional relationship with the subject, and challenges the conventions of representation and eroticism. Drawings of the Male Nude provides an intimate glimpse into the working process, and the psychological realm of an important American artist.
