The 19th-century German photographer Guglielmo Plüschow is best known for his classically inspired images of young Italian men. Plüschow moved to Rome in the early 1870s, where he changed his name from Wilhelm to Guglielmo. Although initially working as a wine merchant, Plüschow soon took up photography, specializing in both male and female nudes that took their inspiration from Italy's classical past. In Italy, he was joined by his younger cousin Wilhelm von Gloeden, who, with Plüschow's help, also took up photography; von Gloeden subsequently built upon and perfected his older cousin's techniques.