Seated Female Nude c. 1899

Paula Modersohn-Becker made this charcoal drawing of a seated female nude sometime before her death in 1907. The image challenges conventional representations of women within the artistic and social norms of early 20th century Germany. Modersohn-Becker was part of the avant-garde movement in Germany, seeking to break from academic traditions. The traditional nude often served as an object of male gaze, but here, the woman’s direct gaze and relaxed posture suggest a sense of self-possession. Consider the institutional context of art academies that, even when they began to admit women, often relegated them to separate studios and limited access to nude models. This drawing, in its bold simplicity, may be seen as a subtle act of defiance against prevailing social and artistic expectations. Further understanding of this artwork requires research into the artist’s biography, the socio-political conditions of Germany at the time, and the institutional history of art education.