Wilhelm von Pluschow German 1852-1930
Male Nude with Lute, c.1900

£2,750

Albumen print
Photographer's red ink credit stamp and numbered ‘9704’ (verso)
22cm × 17cm (42cm × 35cm framed)

Von Plüschow was a pioneering figure in late 19th-century fine art and erotic photography. Moving to Italy in the 1870s, he established prominent studios in Naples and Rome, where he became captivated by the sun-drenched landscapes, classical ruins, and people of the Mediterranean. Plüschow is most celebrated for his carefully orchestrated, Arcadian compositions. Drawing heavy inspiration from Greco-Roman antiquity, his work frequently features local models—predominantly young men—posed as mythological figures or classical statues amidst historic ruins, olive groves, and the dramatic coastline of Posillipo. His mastery of the albumen printing process allowed him to capture rich tonal gradations, rendering the play of Mediterranean light against skin and stone with a distinct, soft-focused elegance. A cousin and early mentor to the famous photographer Wilhelm von Gloeden, Plüschow helped shape the visual language of early homoerotic art and the "Grand Tour" aesthetic that fascinated Northern European elite and avant-garde circles.