Nøgen kvinde med draperi 1912

"Nøgen kvinde med draperi," or "Nude Woman with Drapery," is a pencil drawing by J.A. Jerichau II. Jerichau, born in 1890, produced this sketch during a period when artists were challenging traditional academic approaches to the nude. In this sketch we see the delicate rendering of the female form, partially veiled by drapery. Jerichau's choice to depict the nude in such an intimate and informal way speaks to a desire to explore female identity beyond the conventional roles assigned to women in the early 20th century. The intimate scale invites viewers to reflect on the complexities of representation, gender and the gaze. This artwork invites us to consider the dynamics of seeing and being seen, and the ways in which artists can both perpetuate and subvert cultural norms.