Hardly mentioned in standard histories of Australian art, the nude is like an unwanted guest, somehow slightly embarrassing. After a tentative entrance in Hobart in the 1840s, it disappeared until the 1870s. Why was this? When it did finally emerge, how did it compare to its European origins? Is there something unique in this antipodean version, linking it to the tanned and scantily clad denizens of Australia's famous sandy beaches? This book reveals the fascinating variety to the nude in Australian art up to the present day - in painting, sculpture, printmaking and photography - and highlights the central role played by female artists. It's a fresh view of Australian art through the lens of the nude and suggesting new ways of looking at art generally.