Gustave Courbet's Reclining Nude

Gustave Courbet's Reclining Nude

In the Philadelphia Museum of Art are five paintings by Gustave Courbet;

of all of these I found Reclining Nude (1868, Oil on canvas, The Louis &

Stern Collection, 63-81-20) the most interesting. It depicts a nude woman

lying on the beach beneath a billowing canopy. A dark, but tranquil sea is

in the background. The sky is dark as if the final rays of the sun were

disappearing over the horizon. There are a few clouds in the sky, they are

dark but not threatening. The picture is very dark in general and there is

no obvious light source. The edges of the painting are so dark it is

impossible to tell what the nude reclines against.

A very dim light falls on the woman, who lies on her right side. The

upper half of her torso is twisted to her left and her hips and legs face

the viewer. Her right leg is bent slightly so her calf is beneath her

straightened left leg. The woman is not as thin as classical nudes, her

hips are somewhat broad and her thighs are slightly heavy. Her arms are

crossed languidly over her head. Because her arms are crossed over her

head, her face is almost completely in the shadows; this shadowing covers

the detail of her face in such a way that she could be almost anyone. She

gazes wistfully at the ground to her left.

The woman is rendered very softly and is in a very sensuous pose. This

picture would have been found scandalous for its sexual overtones as was

Courbet's La Demoiselles au bord de la Seine. A scarlet cloth lies in

front of her; it has a very rumpled look which has sexual implications. The

vacant, wistful look and the languid crossing of her arms suggests that she

is thinking of a lover who has just left her. The car...

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...f vision one is more able to appreciate Courbet's careful attention

to the curves and anatomy of the woman's body, as well as his eye for small

detail such as the two tiny boats on the horizon. While many critics of

Courbet's time could not understand his choice of subject matter, they

could appreciate his execution of the subject matter.

Gustave Courbet's subject matter may not have been understood or

considered proper in his day, but now they are considered to be more

acceptable. One, whether of the past or present, must appreciate his

technical abilities; his mastery of line, form, and balance. Though his

lack of color is disappointing, the picture in itself is very pleasing to

look at because it is such a tran- quil, restful scene. While Courbet was

not totally appreciated in his day, he is in these times considered to be

an excellent artist.