Study of a Female Nude Gm-13560501

Pierre-Paul Prud'hon (French, 1758–1823) The nude model's head tilts downward with closed eyes, conveying a sensual aura of dreaminess. The naturalistic texture of her hair, gathered in a bun with delicate curls framing her face, contrasts with the marble-like texture of her skin. Her pose, seated with her arm extended upward and illuminated from the upper left, almost certainly imitates antique sculpture.

Pierre-Paul Prud'hon displayed his classical understanding of the female body in this intimate study, rendering the figure in a series of volumes--cylindrical legs and arms, conical breasts, triangular nose--with a treatment of the skin that yields a soft effect, achieved with short repetitive lines of hatching.