It is true that we do not have many male nudes on display, which was recently pointed out to us by a visitor who made this point in our comments book:

So, to shed some light upon this forgotten genre, here's what we have hidden away in our collections, quite the varied bunch; from the ultra-macho to more effeminate; young and old; taut and droopy:

Nudes have held a longstanding tradition in the history of Western art. Our obsession with these idealised representations is an interesting point to reflect on human nature's narcissism.

Image 1: The Age of Bronze, Auguste Rodin (1878) ©Manchester City Galleries // Currently on display at the main entrance hall
Image 2: Men and Mountains (1934) john Copley ©Manchester City Galleries
Image 3: A nude man wearing a helmet (1893) Frank Dicksee ©Manchester City Galleries
Image 4: Saint john the Baptist, Giovanni Battista Gaulli ©Manchester City Galleries
Image 5: Madonna Ceatrice (1920) John Copley ©Estate of John Copley
Image 6: Life Drawing of a Male Nude Man (1910- 1912) Adolphe Valette ©Manchester City Galleries
Image 7: Acis and Galatea (1677) Pietro Aquila (engraver), Annibale Carracci (after) (artist) ©Manchester City Galleries
Image 8: Life Drawing of a male nude (1911) Adolphe Valette  ©Manchester City Galleries  
Image 9: Castagnettes, James Havard Thomas ©Manchester City Galleries
Image 10: A Male nude wearing a helmet (1893) Frank Dicksee ©Manchester City Galleries
Image 11:The Magical Crystal (1878) Simeon Solomon ©Manchester City Galleries
Image 12: Life Drawing of a Bearded man, Adolphe valette ©Manchester City Galleries
Image 13: untitled [unloading ship at harbour] (1909) Joseph Edward Southall ©Manchester City Galleries
Image 14: sheet of male nude studies, Frank Dicksee ©Manchester City Galleries
Image 15: Polyphemus and galatea (1677) Pietro Aquila (engraver), Annibale Carracci (after) (artist) ©Manchester City Galleries
Image 16:a male figure from the last judgement' (about 1790) Francesco Bartolozzi RA (printmaker), Michelangelo Buonarroti (after) (artist) ©Manchester City Galleries
Image 17: Male nude turning towards lightly sketched female nude (about 1600) Netherlandish School (artist) ©Manchester City Galleries
image 18:the Mill Pond (1905) Charles haslewood shannon ©Manchester City Galleries // currently on display in gallery 12
image 19: resting model (1932) William Lionel Clause ©Manchester City Galleries
Image 20: ganymede serving nectar to an assembly of gods (1724) ©Manchester City Galleries
Image 21: Samson, John Macallan Swan ©Manchester City Galleries
image 22: seated devil (about 1790) Thomas Stothard ©Manchester City Galleries