Stduy. Reclining Female Nude without Arms 1931

This is Study. Reclining Female Nude without Arms by Johan H. Saxild, made in Denmark sometime between 1903 and 1950. The image shows a reclining nude, but without any arms. In the western art tradition, the female nude has been used to explore ideas about beauty and sexuality, but also about power. Here, the missing arms might imply a vulnerability, a lack of agency or physical capability. But the title tells us this is a study, which suggests a pedagogical context. Was this made as part of a class at the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts? What were the aesthetic and political values that underpinned art education in Denmark at this time? Was it normal to present a nude in this way? Art history helps us to investigate these questions and to understand better the artistic conventions and social structures of the time.