This is the English-language translation of a work originally published in Danish in conjunction with an eponymous exhibition organized by two Danish museums; the publisher is Museum Tusculanum Press, U. of Copenhagen, and the distributor in the US is ISBS. The first essay, titled "The Triumph of Life," reveals Vitalism (with a capital V) as an incredibly rich theme for art, although it is generally understood as "a philosophical and scientific current, which trickled down into art as well as everyday life in various ways...." This volume presents 171 images (and the catalogue of the exhibition) accompanying extensive text--15 essays--discussing the theme in connection with sport, life-rhythm, barbarism, nature, the natural woman, sexuality and aesthetics of the male body, dance, and music, among other topics. This is an extraordinary compilation of interest to a wide audience of art historians, cultural historians, fitness or dance enthusiasts and scholars, scholars of the literature and culture connected with bodies and body images, and artists or art enthusiasts. The volume is oversize: 10x11". Annotation ©2011 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)