The images from Paolo Roversi’s 1998 book ‘Nudi’ speak such volumes that they require no pre-amble.

Lisa Lyon was a pioneer of female body building, with a daring character that lent her to appearances in Playboy, but more importantly, to pose for photographer Robert Mapplethorpe, who devoted an entire book to the athlete. SAD blog brings you these lesser known, but incredibly striking images from a photographer whose body of work consistently examined the form in an unconventional, sexually charged fashion.