Wilhelm von Gloeden Book order

The young German Wilhelm von Gloeden - barely twenty-two - arrived in Taormina in1878 after a brief stop in Naples. He immediately became involved in photography; this new medium had fascinated him since his stepfather had given him a camera. This book features a collection of the pictures he took of the mythical landscapes around Vesuvius and the volcanoes on one side and the sea on the other, and, of course, the sun of the south. Also featured are many of his pastoral nude studies of Sicilian boys, which usually featured props such as wreaths or amphorae suggesting a setting in the Greece or Italy of antiquity. From a modern standpoint, his work stands out due to his controlled use of lighting as well as the elegant poses of his models.

This sensational book is an authentic reproduction of a so far unknown collector's original album, which was carefully preserved and safeguarded against the gazes of the curious for an entire century. It is a rare document of early staged photography and turn-of-the-century gay culture.