Reclining Nymph 1859

"Reclining Nymph" is an undated oil on canvas painting by Camille Corot, and it currently resides at the Musée d'Art et d'Histoire in Geneva. Corot painted during a time of changing social and political landscapes. His era saw shifts in class structures and evolving ideas about gender and identity. In this painting, Corot presents us with a female nude, reclining in a pastoral setting, a trope from classical art. But Corot, while working within the traditional genre of the nude, infuses it with a certain realism and approachability. She isn't an idealized goddess but a woman in nature. The figure's gaze, lost in thought, invites viewers to consider the inner world of the subject. The setting of the painting gives a sense of freedom and connection to the natural world. By presenting a more grounded and relatable depiction of femininity, Corot touches on the changing social mores of his time, offering a vision of beauty rooted in reality and human emotion.