Nudes

The human body has long been the subject of artists. From the sensitive portraits of Picasso (Blue Nude), to the colorful paintings of Botticelli (The Birth of Venus), the female body has been painted, sketched, sculpted and photographed more than the male's. Botticelli and the Austrian symbolist painter Klimt (Sea Serpents IV) in particular found inspiration in the human body. Striking works by Picasso and Degas (After the Bath), de Goya (Nude Maja) are also highly sought after and collected.

Gustav Klimt

Gustav Klimt (1862-1918) was an Austrian painter who played a key role in the Vienna Art Nouveau movement. Art Noveau, also known as Jugendstil (German for "youth style"), was widely popular at the turn of the 20th century. Paintings in this style incorporate flowers, plants and other organic materials along with flowing, curving lines. Klimt's favorite subject was the female body, and much of his art includes erotic symbolism, painted with a distinctive, elegant gold color. In 2006, His 1907 portrait Adele Bloch-Bauer sold for $135 million, and at that time was the highest reported price ever paid for a piece of art sold at auction. Today, favorite Klimt wall prints include The Kiss, Mother and Child, and Beechwood Forest.