Female Nude from Behind 1800

Pierre-Paul Prud'hon made this chalk drawing, Female Nude from Behind, in France, most likely during the late 1700s or early 1800s. The image reflects the values of its time, both conservative and progressive. On the one hand, the nude female form has been an object of artistic and male, often institutional, scrutiny for centuries. On the other hand, the subject in this study looks almost like a common person and not an idealized goddess like Venus, which was the norm. This could be seen as a subversive and revolutionary stance, much like the political context after the French revolution. The Academy was a powerful institution and the artistic training took years of study. Often, artists would make nude studies to practice anatomy. To understand it better, we can research Prud'hon's life and the artistic institutions he worked with. Art reflects the times and contexts in which it is made.