Nude Girl Seated, with One Knee Raised Possibly 1919

Augustus John made this etching, 'Nude Girl Seated, with One Knee Raised', sometime in the early twentieth century. The image presents us with a vision of an intimate moment. Augustus John belonged to a generation of British artists who saw themselves as bohemians, counter-cultural figures who distanced themselves from the conservative values of the Victorian era. By looking at John’s wider artistic output, it becomes clear that he saw nakedness as a symbol of freedom and sexual liberation. But we should also remember that art schools at this time encouraged young artists to study the nude, so there are institutional factors at play here, too. What’s more, the relative ease of producing etchings meant that they were often used to create erotic images for private consumption. To understand art, we need to consider the historical context in which it was made. By consulting letters, diaries, newspaper reports and other documentary evidence, we can understand how images once functioned in society.