Beeld van een jagende nimf door A. Falguière c. 1875 - 1900

This is a photograph of a sculpture called "Beeld van een jagende nimf door A. Falguière", or Image of a Hunting Nymph by A. Falguière. The image presents us with a female nude figure, reminiscent of classical Greek sculpture. She is caught in mid-motion, poised and athletic, a figure seemingly embodying a free and natural state. However, the statue was made in France and in fact it is not ancient at all. The history of art museums is entangled with the history of class. Museums were created to make artworks accessible to all and to be educational. As historians we must ask ourselves: who is art really for? What kinds of social values do museums promote? These are questions that are contingent on social and institutional context. To dig further, research resources, like the museum’s archives, can offer clues and insights into the artistic practices of the time.