According to the latest, breaking historical ruminations by contemporary people, Queen Victoria had an enthused appreciation for nudity. Though it is easy to think that she and the majority of historical people were old-fashioned prudes (Victorians, even), it is probable that she was very open-minded — at least when it came to gazing at artsy displays of the human body. Spencer Tunick, a photographer known for his nude portraits, credits Victoria with inspiring a love of nudity in the entirety of Britain:
I think there was such a strong love for the nude in art by Queen Victoria that it sort of set your mindset towards body and art. It survived and is flourishing today. She had a passion for nudity.
There is subtle evidence of nudity appreciation in her diary, and she commissioned a vast array of nude sculptures and paintings, often as gifts for her husband, Prince Albert. Tunick reports that one of the nudes she ordered prompted Prince Albert to call it “rather nude,” and that she said, “Not at all.” Saying someone is very naked or rather naked is funny; really, you’re either naked, or you’re not naked. Maybe that’s what she meant by “not at all.” We will never know.
