Nymph with a Shell 1650 - 1699

Antoine Coysevox sculpted this bronze "Nymph with a Shell", sometime between 1685 and 1700, a period when the French court was establishing its cultural dominance. Nymphs, in classical mythology, are female nature deities, often associated with springs and fountains. Coysevox created a reclining, sensual figure, gazing down, with her hand resting on a shell. In the context of 17th-century France, such sculptures served multiple purposes. On one hand, they were emblems of refined taste and learning, reflecting the era's fascination with antiquity. But it is hard to ignore the erotic undertones here, or fail to notice that classical themes often provided a socially acceptable way to represent and celebrate the female form. This object, while a celebration of feminine beauty, exists within a structure of power and patronage. It highlights enduring questions about how women are represented in art and whose gaze is being privileged.