This summer Nude: art from the Tate collection at the Art Gallery of New South Wales tells the story of the nude through more than 100 powerful artworks spanning two centuries, as part of the Sydney International Art Series 2016-2017.

The evolution of the nude in Western art is a story of beauty and desire, eroticism and tenderness as well as scandal. From the history paintings of the 19th century to the body politics of contemporary art, Nude: art from the Tate collection brings together the works of renowned artists who have depicted the naked body including JMW Turner, Sir Hamo Thornycroft, Auguste Rodin, Pierre Bonnard, Pablo Picasso, Henri Matisse, Louise Bourgeois, Barkley Hendricks, Rineke Dijkstra, John Currin, Sarah Lucas and Ron Mueck.

Many of the works, loaned from the distinguished collection of Tate, London will be exhibited in Australia for the first time – including one of the world’s most iconic expressions of erotic love, Rodin’s marble sculpture The kiss (1904). Other renowned works include Picasso’s Nude woman in a red armchair (1932) and Bonnard’s The bath (1925).

Art Gallery of NSW director Dr Michael Brand said the nude is one of art’s most universal subjects.

“From idealised representations of the human form through to the confrontational naked bodies of recent art, the nude has expressed a vast range of human aspirations, emotions and ideas.

“The Art Gallery of NSW encourages debate about art and provides the opportunity for visitors to confront art that is charged and powerful. From Turner’s secret sketch books to the radical modern nudes of Picasso and the poignancy of Rineke Dijkstra’s photographs, Nude: art from the Tate collection does just that,” Dr Brand said.

“I thank Tate director Sir Nicholas Serota for working with us to bring an exceptionally important selection of the museum’s masterpieces to Sydney. It’s an honour to partner with the Tate in the year its much anticipated new building is open, providing another aesthetic and thought-provoking art experience for Australian audiences at AGNSW,” Dr Brand added.

Sir Nicholas Serota said that while Tate staged Exposed: the Victorian nude in 2002, Nude: art from the Tate collection is the first exhibition to address the subject using the full breadth of the collection.

“Nude: art from the Tate collection ranges from historical allegory to political protest and from cubism to body art,” Serota said.

Nude: art from the Tate collection also offers a compelling journey through many major art movements, including romanticism, cubism, expressionism, realism, surrealism and feminism. The exhibition is curated by Emma Chambers, curator of modern British art at Tate, and Justin Paton, head curator of international art at the Art Gallery of NSW.

Paton said Nude: art from the Tate collection explores the many ways artists have looked at the unclothed body and touches on subjects that are urgent and relevant to all viewers.

“We all respond strongly to images of the unclothed body because they address issues at the heart of who we are as humans – issues of love, desire, mortality, truth and power.

“The show is a survey of extraordinary artists, major art movements, and many remarkable social changes. But above all it is a chance to encounter compelling artworks up close and in the flesh – to experience each artwork’s distinctive ‘body language’ and see how we respond,” Paton said.

“The nude has changed radically across the past 200 years. But it has also remained a subject of constant interest for artists and viewers — because every one of us has a body. In that sense it is an exhibition about who we are and how we see ourselves,” Paton added.

NSW Minister for Trade, Tourism and Major Events Stuart Ayres said the Sydney International Art Series brings the world’s most outstanding artists exclusively to Sydney and this year’s exhibition at the Art Gallery of NSW continues this proud tradition.

“This exceptional collection from the Tate will draw thousands of visitors to Sydney to see remarkable works including Rodin’s The kiss, to be seen in Australia for the very first time,” Ayres said.

“I encourage art lovers and first time visitors to come to the Art Gallery of NSW to enjoy this landmark exhibition made possible through this esteemed partnership with the Tate, London,” Ayres said.

Nude: art from the Tate collection has been secured as part of the Sydney International Art Series through the support of strategic partner Destination NSW, the NSW Government’s tourism and major events agency.

Nude: art from the Tate collection is also made possible by the generosity of the exhibition’s principal sponsor EY. “As a long-time sponsor of the Art Gallery of New South Wales, EY is proud to present this impressive exhibition to our clients, our people and the wider community,” said Oceania CEO and managing partner Tony Johnson.

“Our purpose of building a better working world is much more than everyday business – it is a commitment to driving social change and maintaining a thriving cultural environment. Through EY’s continuing support of the arts, we are helping to bring people together and highlighting the important connection between business, culture and society,” added Johnson.