Reclining female nude 1658 - 1906

Rembrandt van Rijn produced this etching, Reclining female nude, using etching in the Netherlands. The print shows us a seemingly candid view of a woman resting, but what can this image tell us about the social structures of the time? How did it comment on the period's views on the female form? It is important to remember that the Dutch Golden Age, while prosperous, was also deeply influenced by the Calvinist church. As a result, images of nude women were rare, particularly of the kind seen in Renoir's paintings. Here, Rembrandt seems to challenge the traditional portrayal of women in art. Instead of idealizing the female form, the print depicts a natural, unidealized body. Is Rembrandt critiquing conventional beauty standards or making a statement about the role of women? To understand the art of the period, it is important to also study the prevailing social and religious views. Researching primary source documents, like religious pamphlets and social commentaries, will help to understand this.