Schönheit, Kraft und Jugend

The intention of the Lebensreformbewegungen was to free the image of the body – especially the nude – from moral and ethical fetters. But to what extent was this claim realized in the case of the male figure? In fact, it turns out that a multifaceted and highly exciting pictorial language emerged, especially in the case of the male figures. On the one hand, new and avant-garde modes of representation were created, and on the other hand, stereotypes and restrictions shape the images. This study analyses the particular development of these iconographies and examines their function and reception. In doing so, it sheds new light on the interrelationships between the artistic development of the male image and the physical culture of the Lebensreformen.