Naakte vrouw, liggend op een wolkendek 1827

Is. Jouvenel created this monochrome drawing titled 'Naked woman lying on a cloud bed.' The artwork reflects the male gaze characteristic of much art history. It evokes questions of women's agency and how their bodies have historically been represented for the pleasure and consumption of others. The reclining pose and the soft, cloud-like bed create an image of vulnerability and accessibility, typical of the representation of women in the art of the time. Such depictions often served to reinforce societal norms around femininity and female sexuality. This work invites us to reflect on the historical power dynamics embedded in the act of looking and representing the human form. While seemingly passive, images like these are active participants in the ongoing construction of gender and identity.