Standing female nude, her arms located in front of the chest 1905

This ‘Standing female nude, her arms located in front of the chest’ was painted by Paula Modersohn-Becker, who died far too young. I like the way it's so immediate, like she's figuring out painting as she goes. The earth tones and visible brushstrokes bring out the physicality of the paint itself. You can see how she's built up the surface, layer by layer. Look at the model's hands. They're clasped together in a way that feels both protective and vulnerable. There's a tenderness there, a self-awareness that's really striking. The colour is a little sickly – but I like that, it’s kind of awkward. Modersohn-Becker’s work reminds me a bit of Klimt's, in the way she combines sensuality with a kind of decorative flatness, although she is rougher than Klimt. It is like she is painting a real person, rather than an ideal, and that makes all the difference.