Female Nude Seated 

Alphonse Legros created this pencil drawing, Female Nude Seated, in the late 19th or early 20th century. Legros was a French-born artist who spent much of his career in England, where he taught at the Slade School of Fine Art. The drawing is a study of the female nude, a common subject in academic art. However, Legros's approach is less idealized and more naturalistic than many of his contemporaries. The woman's body is rendered with a degree of realism that suggests a direct observation from life. This shift towards realism can be seen as a response to broader changes in society and culture during this time, including the rise of scientific naturalism and the increasing visibility of working-class bodies. To fully understand the image, we can consult sources like exhibition catalogs and student records. These sources shed light on the social and institutional context in which Legros's art was made and received. Art is always made in response to a specific set of cultural, social, and institutional circumstances.