Naiade 1836 - 1904

Henri Fantin-Latour made this print called Naiade, or water nymph, using lithography. Fantin-Latour was a French painter and printmaker active in the second half of the 19th century. He's known for his flower paintings and group portraits of artists and writers. But he also explored mythological themes, a genre that reveals a lot about the cultural norms of the time. Nymphs were popular subjects in art and literature, often representing idealized femininity. The woman's nudity might seem innocent, but we have to recognize that the male gaze was very present in the art world back then. Institutions like the French Academy shaped artistic standards and often favored representations that reinforced traditional gender roles. To truly understand this work, we can explore sources like Fantin-Latour's letters, exhibition reviews, and feminist art history, to better understand the social dynamics that influenced this image.