Reclining Nude 

Albert Weisgerber sketched this Reclining Nude in ink on paper, sometime before his death in the First World War. Weisgerber was German, working in a period when academic traditions were being challenged by modern art movements. The nude, a long-standing subject in Western art, here becomes an exercise in expressive line. The artist appears less interested in anatomical accuracy than in capturing a sense of the body's form and weight through rapid, energetic strokes. It is worth noting that the reception of such images was deeply shaped by social norms around gender, class, and morality. The nude in art was often a contested site, reflecting broader anxieties about public and private life, and the representation of the body. To understand this work more fully, we can consult archives, period publications, and critical writings to explore how artists like Weisgerber navigated the complex visual culture of their time. The meaning of art is never fixed, but is always contingent on its social and institutional context.