This beautifully presented book discusses the depiction of the nude and the use of the life model in New Zealand art. Well illustrated in color and black and white, it will serve as an introduction to a wide range of artists. It provides an absorbing insight into the artists' treatment of the human body and tells the story of our changing attitudes to the nude. As in other frontier societies, landscape has been the dominant theme in New Zealand art. On the other hand, there have always been artists whose major subject matter has been the human figure and artists who have depicted the figure at some stage in their career. Figure Work fills a gap in the artistic and social history of New Zealand.