Nude Posing with Tapestry 

Robert McGinnis, born in 1926, created this painting, "Nude Posing with Tapestry" showing a figure that could have walked out of the pages of a pulp novel, or a smoky jazz club. McGinnis, a prolific illustrator, is best known for his paperback covers which often featured strong female characters, yet in this painting, the woman turns her back to us. She offers a pose, rather than a personality. Her nudity, softened by the trappings of wealth – the earrings, the tapestry, and the up-do, is a signifier. The artifice of high heels, costume jewelry and a theatrical fan speaks to a particular cultural moment where the body becomes a stage for the performance of femininity. Yet, one can also see the woman’s gaze as a refusal to be defined by the viewer's expectations. This painting, with its delicate balance of vulnerability and defiance, invites a conversation about the power dynamics inherent in the act of looking.