Masseida Assise De Trois - Quarts A Gauche- La Tete Tournee A Droite 1917

Théophile Alexandre Steinlen created this charcoal drawing called "Masseida Assise De Trois - Quarts A Gauche- La Tete Tournee A Droite" in 1913. Steinlen made this drawing in France, during a period of increasing colonial expansion, when Parisian artists were fascinated by representing the bodies of African and Asian women. We might consider how this image participates in, or challenges, these conventions. We can better understand the politics of this imagery by considering the legacy of the French Academy, which emphasized idealized forms and encouraged artists to study classical sculpture, but by this point, many artists began moving away from it. We could consult records from Parisian Salons and art schools to understand how artists challenged academic conventions. What visual codes does the artist employ in his depiction of this model, and how do they relate to existing racial and gender norms? By researching these historical sources, we can better understand the complex social and institutional contexts in which this drawing was made.