La Muse Accoudée 1884

Paul-Albert Besnard created this etching titled "La Muse Accoudée." Images like this, made in France around the turn of the 20th century, are revealing of the artist's changing social role. The idea of the artist's muse goes back to classical times, but here, we can sense a shift in how artists understood themselves. The muse has lost her traditional associations with the classical world, and taken on more modern and psychological undertones. Besnard was a product of the French academic system, winning the Prix de Rome in 1874, but he was also part of the rise of a commercial art market that allowed artists to work independently and express themselves more freely. To understand this work better, we can look into 19th century French literature and psychology, as well as the exhibition histories of the French Salon, and compare this image to others of its kind. In doing so, the role of institutions in shaping the artist’s self-conception becomes clear.