Vrouw met sluier en ontblote borst c. 1779 - 1820

Pierre Simon created this print, "Vrouw met sluier en ontblote borst" or "Woman with veil and bare breast," sometime between the late 18th and early 19th centuries. Simon was working in a revolutionary France which struggled with and redefined its identity. This work embodies some of those tensions. We see the lingering influence of the Rococo, with its emphasis on the delicate features of the figure. However, the classical drapery and the bare breast complicate any simple reading. What does it mean to depict a woman both veiled and partially nude? This asks us to consider both modesty and a kind of radical transparency. The title, which translates to "ingenuousness," further complicates the matter. The image raises questions about the representation of women, inviting us to consider the gaze, the power of exposure, and the dynamics of innocence and experience. What kind of woman is being depicted here, and for whose gaze is she intended? It allows us to reflect on how ideals of femininity were constructed, negotiated, and sometimes contested during a period of profound social upheaval.