František Drtikol was a Czech photographer (* 1883; † 1961) who made a name for himself as a pioneer of nude photography and symbolism. His “Nude Study” photographs from the 1920s and 1930s are groundbreaking works that depict the female body in a unique combination of aesthetics, symbolism and geometry. Drtikol was one of the first artists to photographically reveal the female body, thus breaking a social taboo. Drtikol often staged his models in dynamic poses, emphasised by clear, dramatic plays of light and shadow, and set them against stylised, almost abstract backgrounds.



These photographs go beyond mere nudes and explore themes such as spirituality, movement and the relationship between man and space. Drtikol’s “Nude Studies” are not only an expression of his technical virtuosity, but also of his ability to portray the female body as a source of beauty, strength and inner depth. His work has significantly influenced the development of modern photography and remains an important example of the artistic exploration of the human body.