Woman Seated 

Andre Dunoyer de Segonzac created this drawing of a seated woman with ink on paper. The image contains a striking contrast between the vulnerability of the nude figure and the implied gaze of the viewer. This tension is reminiscent of the ancient Venus Pudica motif, where the figure modestly conceals herself, yet paradoxically draws attention to her nudity. Consider Botticelli’s Venus; she covers herself in such a way that enhances rather than diminishes the erotic charge. Our collective memory is stocked with countless images of the female form, each contributing to a complex and often contradictory understanding of beauty, desire, and the gaze. Here, the woman’s gaze is averted, perhaps suggesting a sense of unease or introspection. Her posture, though seemingly casual, conveys a subtle tension, as if caught between exposure and concealment. The motif of the reclining nude has echoed through art history. The way the artist chooses to depict her—whether as an object of desire, a symbol of fertility, or an embodiment of inner turmoil—reveals the evolving and cyclical nature of human perception.