Female Nude with Necklace c. 1870s - 1880s

Elihu Vedder, an American artist, made this drawing of a "Female Nude with Necklace" using graphite and white chalk on paper. Vedder, who lived between 1836 and 1923, spent a good deal of his career in Italy, at a time when the conventions around the nude were evolving rapidly. This drawing reminds us of the tension between the public role of art and the politics of imagery. We see a female nude, a subject often associated with classical ideals and academic training. Yet, the very act of depicting the nude was fraught with social implications. Vedder’s approach in this drawing, eschewing classical ideals, represents a break from established norms. Art historians rely on artists' biographies, exhibition reviews and other archival material to understand an artwork like this one. By situating artworks within their social and institutional contexts, we gain insights into the artist’s intentions.