Femme nue 

Gustave Moreau's "Femme nue" is an undated work that presents a figure study characteristic of academic art of the 19th century. Moreau, positioned within the French Symbolist movement, often explored themes of mythology and the exotic, with an eroticized, feminized aesthetic. This nude embodies those contradictions. The woman’s gaze is averted, giving a sense of modesty, yet she is posed to emphasize sensuality, a common trope for female subjects at the time. The drape she holds appears to be a failed attempt to cover herself, furthering the viewers voyeuristic experience. Looking at this work, it’s hard not to consider the power dynamics inherent in the male gaze. How does it feel to know that she is being seen through a male point of view? This image prompts reflection on the historical and ongoing objectification of women in art, but also how female artists are taking back the narrative.