Seated Female Nude 1893 - 1923

Søren Onsager's "Seated Female Nude", located here at the SMK, presents us with a study in monochrome and form. The composition is dominated by the figure of the nude, her body rendered in soft, muted tones that blend almost seamlessly with the background. The stark contrast with the dark fan she holds draws your eye, acting as a focal point. Onsager seems to be challenging traditional modes of representation here. The woman’s gaze is directed downwards, away from the viewer, while the brushstrokes are loose and gestural. The figure is partially obscured, leaving the viewer with a sense of voyeurism. Note the interplay between the visible and the obscured, where the artist seems less concerned with perfect representation and more with evoking a sense of the woman's presence. This formal technique reflects a shift in artistic focus from mere depiction to the exploration of perception and subjective experience. The artwork invites us to reconsider the boundaries of representation and the role of the viewer in constructing meaning.