Nu debout 

Henri Matisse made this drawing, Nu Debout, in 1951, with black pencil on paper. Matisse worked within a social context, both absorbing and resisting it. The female nude has a long and complicated history in Western art, often idealized and objectified. In France, institutions like the Académie des Beaux-Arts set standards for acceptable art, emphasizing technical skill and classical ideals. Matisse challenged these traditional norms through his focus on simplified forms and expressive lines. Consider the time it was made. Post-World War II France was grappling with questions of national identity and cultural renewal. The rise of Existentialism encouraged individuals to assert their freedom and challenge societal expectations. Matisse’s simplified and expressive style can be seen as a rejection of the past, in favor of a more modern sensibility. By studying exhibition reviews, artists' manifestos, and cultural histories, we can understand how artworks engage with and reflect the social and institutional contexts in which they were created.