Nude 

"Nude" is a drawing by Constantin Brâncuși rendered with spare lines. Born in Romania, Brâncuși would later move to Paris, where he became a leading innovator of modern sculpture. In this work the female nude is presented in an abstract style, with the woman seated in a chair, her head bowed. The line is elegant but also feels incredibly vulnerable. This was a period when artists were pushing against academic traditions and exploring new ways to represent the human form and the social constraints which impacted how the body was represented. Brâncuși’s own words offer a window into understanding the work, as he said, “What is real is not the external form, but the essence of things.” He reduces the figure to its most essential lines, inviting us to look beyond conventional beauty. The artwork presents a balance between revealing and concealing. This allows it to prompt questions about how we perceive intimacy and vulnerability.