Sascha Schneider: Nude in Public

Sascha Schneider, "Triumph der Finsternis," 1896, 160 x 270 cm, mixing technique on canvas. Courtesy of the Röder Collection.

Nude in Public: Sascha Schneider, Homoeroticism and the Male Form circa 1900 was curated by Jonathan David Katz. The exhibition takes place at Leslie-Lohman Museum of Gay and Lesbian Art September 20 - December 8, 2013

Sascha Schneider, "Hypnose," 1904, 50 x 40 cm, lithograph.

“He made these works for straight people in public buildings,” says Hunter O’Hanian, looking through a catalog of Schneider’s perfectly muscled demigods. “He actually kept a gym in his studio for his models.” O’Hanian’s favorite work? This painting, titled “Hypnose,” that shows a hooded muscle daddy beaming white light into the eyes of a stricken, naked ephebe. Read more.

"Kain und Abel," 1897, 139 x 156 cm, charcoal on paper.

Sascha Schneider was born in St. Petersburg, Russia, in 1870. During his childhood his family lived in Zürich, Switzerland, but following the death of his father, Schneider moved to Dresden, Germany, where in 1889 he became a student at the Dresden Academy of Fine Arts.

Sascha Schneider, "Mammon und sein Sklave," c. 1896, 24 x 32 cm, xylograph.

German collector Hans-Gerd Röder, who became fascinated by this unknown figure while still in his twenties and began to seek out every work by Schneider he could find, helped salvage a tattered reputation in modern art history. Mr. and Mrs. Röder and their family have generously agreed to lend their collection of masterworks to the Leslie-Lohman Museum.

Sascha Schneider, "Gürtelbinder," 1913, bronze, 86 x 36 cm. Courtesy of the Röder Collection.

Sascha Schneider, "Rückenakt mit Handtuch," c. 1920, oil on canvas, 102x37 cm. Courtesy of the Röder Collection.

Sascha Schneider, "Das Gefühl der Abhängigkeit," 1894, 61x40.5 cm, chalk, charcoal and paints on cardboard. Courtesy of the Röder Collection.

Sascha Schneider, "Der Anarchist," 1894, 70x42 cm, charcoal and lead on cardboard. Courtesy of the Röder Collection.

Sascha Schneider, 1915, 50 x 36 cm, charcoal on paper. Courtesy of the Röder Collection.

Sascha Schneider, "Herrscher," 1895, 102 x 148 cm, oil on canvas. Courtesy of the Röder Collection.

Sascha Schneider, "Liegender Akt mit angezogenen Beinen," 1894, 51 x 40 cm, pencil and charcoal with white highlights on gray paper. Courtesy of the Röder Collection.