The Victorians were freakier than you think — and they had the paintings to prove it.
The Victorian era is often cited for its lack of sexuality, but as this documentary reveals, the period's artists created a strong tradition surrounding the classical nude figure, which spread from the fine arts to more common forms of expression. The film explains how 19th-century artists were inspired by ancient Greek and Roman works to highlight the naked form, and how that was reflected in the evolving cultural attitudes toward sex.
Production
Stunning close-ups of criminally underseen Victorian masterpieces.
Writing
Wry narration that winks at historical hypocrisy.
Director
Ben McPherson
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Director Ben McPherson specialized in arts documentaries that found scandal in supposedly staid periods — this was his cheekiest.
The film's 2001 release coincided with a major Victorian nude exhibition at Tate Britain, riding a wave of scholarly reassessment.
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