Artwork
Nude Woman by a Looking Glass (Femme Nue Auprès d'une Glace)
Nude Woman by a Looking Glass (Femme Nue Auprès d'une Glace) is an ink print by the Impressionist artist Paul-Albert Besnard. It dates from 1889 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
About this work
Overview
Nude Woman by a Looking Glass is an 1889 etching on green laid paper by Albert Besnard, depicting a female figure in a contemplative, intimate setting.
Subject & Meaning
The etching shows a woman with her back to the viewer, standing before a mirror, her disheveled hair and loosely draped dress conveying a sense of informality and personal moment.
Technique & Style
Besnard employed a vigorous etching technique, characterized by scratchy, uneven lines that impart a textured, rapid quality to the work, eschewing smoothness for expressive immediacy.
History & Provenance
Created in 1889, specific details regarding the etching's provenance and exhibition history are not provided in the available information.
Context
This work reflects late 19th-century explorations of nudity in art, focusing on the private, everyday aspect of the subject rather than idealization.
Legacy
The etching's impact or influence on subsequent artistic movements or Besnard's broader oeuvre is not detailed in the provided context.
Own this work as a print
Artist & collection
Artist
Paul-Albert Besnard (1849–1934) was a French artist, born in 7th arrondissement of Paris.
Woman at Her Toilette (La toilette)
Back of a Woman (Dos de Femme)
Bust
Femme assise de profil (Woman Seated in Profile)
Seated Nude with a Cigarette
Seated Nude Woman from the Back
Seated Nude with Her Arm Resting on Her Leg (Femme nue assise, le bras appuyé sur la jambe)
Nude
The Feathered Turban (Le turban à aigrette)