Femme nue de dos 

Henri Fantin-Latour created "Femme nue de dos" using oil on canvas, against the backdrop of 19th-century France, where academic traditions still held sway but were increasingly challenged by emerging avant-garde movements. In this piece, the female nude is rendered with a certain softness and vulnerability as the model is depicted from behind. The artistic choices around the gaze—or lack thereof—invite questions about the dynamic between the artist, model, and viewer. Whose perspective are we invited to take? Fantin-Latour, like many of his contemporaries, navigated the complex terrain of representing women in a rapidly changing society. While the female nude has historically been a symbol of idealized beauty, here, there’s a sense of introspection, a departure from the overtly sexualized or allegorical portrayals that dominated much of art history. Fantin-Latour’s "Femme nue de dos" asks us to consider the power dynamics inherent in the act of looking and representing, inviting us to reflect on the female form, not as a mere object, but as a subject with her own story to tell.