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Grady Harp wrote on 10/20/2009:

Fred Goudon brings more to his ongoing published collections of the male nude than many other practitioners of this genre. Yes, the photographs he composes are stunning in composition and communication, his models are among the finest available (note: his respect for his models is acknowledged in the closing pages of this book where head shots of each model accompany the names of the models participating in the volume), and his books appeal to a wide audience. But Goudon takes each monograph a step further in presenting a theme for each collection. In this, his fourth book VIRILITY (following AQUA, BEDTIME STORIES, SUNDAY MORNING and the very popular LES DIEUX DU STADE 2006 calendar of athletes) his concentration is on not merely photographing 'models', but rather a visual demonstration of what the term 'virility' means.

The photographs in this very beautiful volume are in both full color and in sepia tone, a choice that allows Goudon to experiment with light and shadow on certain apropos choices of models, while concentrating his 'demonstrations' of virility on those aspects of stance, eye contact, body language, men at sport, athletes at rest, the body in motion and in repose, men together and alone, privacy and posing for a seductive camera in a range of color that makes the viewer feel as though each model is being viewed without the degree of flaunting or embarrassment so often the case in other similar volumes.

Adding an additional dimension to this survey of Virility are brief but well written and well selected poems by Caroline M, Alexandre Delmar, Pascal F, and (seemingly) Goudon himself - each poem placed as inconspicuous as a French whisper in the corner of an empty page across from an English translation that provides a quiet moment of introspection. It may seem a small aspect of the success of the volume, but the delicacy of the written word in the presence of these magnificent images enhances the viewer's participation and appreciation of Goudon's talent.