Baigneuse endormie 1850

Théodore Chassériau made this painting of a sleeping bather, with oil on canvas, sometime in the middle of the 19th century. In this painting, the artist presents the viewer with an image of a nude woman resting in a landscape that evokes both classical antiquity and a romanticized vision of nature. The painting aligns with the academic tradition that was upheld by institutions like the École des Beaux-Arts in France, where Chassériau received his training. The nude figure references classical ideals of beauty, while the setting recalls the pastoral scenes popular in European art. But it also offers a glimpse into the social context of 19th-century France, where the display of the female body was fraught with issues of power, desire, and morality. Art historians play an important role in deciphering such images, often drawing on a range of textual and visual sources to understand the artwork's place within a specific cultural and institutional moment.