Nu Allongé 

Delphin Enjolras created this oil painting, titled "Nu Allongé," sometime between the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Enjolras, working during the Belle Époque in France, often depicted women in intimate, domestic settings. Here, the artist presents a reclining nude woman, surrounded by roses. The image embodies a sense of idealized beauty and eroticism prevalent in academic art of the time. But look closer: what unspoken narratives might reside within this seemingly idyllic scene? How does the representation of the female body here negotiate the boundaries of sensuality, objectification, and vulnerability? And how do you, as a contemporary viewer, respond to this historical portrayal?