Pandora 

Jules Joseph Lefebvre created this painting of Pandora, a figure from Greek mythology, during a time of significant shifts in the representation of women in art and society. Lefebvre, working within an academic tradition, presents Pandora nude, drawing on classical ideals of beauty. However, this choice also places her within a complex history of the female nude as a subject of male gaze and desire. Pandora holds a box, a symbol of both potential and danger. Her act of opening it unleashed evils upon the world, a narrative that traditionally casts her as the origin of human suffering. Yet, consider the weight of expectation placed on Pandora, a woman tasked with guarding a mysterious object. Reflect on the curiosity and agency that might have driven her choice. "What could be inside?" As you stand here, think about how the artist presents traditional narratives of female blame and reflects societal anxieties about women's roles and desires.