Is There More to Life Modelling Than Posing Nude?

Discover the confidence and creativity needed to undress in the name of art

From artist’s muse to art classes, professional life models are an integral part of art making.

Explore the role of life modelling in the creative process. Freyia Lilian, Valentina Rock, Sue Tilley and Morimda Tassembedo discuss the qualities they need to do their job and how they connect emotionally with artists.

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A nude woman with cropped fair hair stands with eyes closed, leaning back against a heaped mound of crumpled white rags, one arm stretched along the pile, her flesh rendered in thick strokes of oil paint

Standing by the Rags

A nude woman with bobbed brown hair sits looking down, one arm resting along the back of a fabric-covered chair, her full body painted in warm ochres against a near-black background

Nude

A slender young woman sits naked on a chair against a plain grey-green wall, dark hair falling to her shoulders, a black cord necklace at her chest, her hands resting on the white drapery across her lap

Nude Girl

Two Figures, Study for ‘The Excursion of Nausicaa’

Dame Ethel Walker

View by appointment

Unlock Art: A Brief History of Art Undressed

Dawn O'Porter takes us on a tour of nudity in art, from its origins 25,000 years ago to the present

Which Modigliani Model Are You?

Take the quiz to discover which of Modigliani's friends, patrons and lovers is your bohemian alter ego

Derek Boshier: Life drawing masterclass

Tate invited well-known artists to teach a life drawing masterclass