Backview of Standing Nude Woman and Sketch of a Foot c. 1873 - 1877

Edward Burne-Jones created this pencil drawing, "Backview of Standing Nude Woman and Sketch of a Foot," in the late 19th century, a time of strict Victorian morality. In this sketch, a woman is presented from a classical, almost academic perspective, yet this was also an era grappling with evolving notions of gender and sexuality. While the nude form was a staple in art, its representation was often policed by social norms, with women's bodies idealized or objectified. Burne-Jones’s sketch, with its sensitive lines, seems to push against the period's restrictive representations by presenting an intimate, unidealized, and vulnerable figure. The sketch captures a sense of personal study. It is through these kinds of images we glimpse the tension between societal expectations and the individual’s exploration of form, identity, and self-expression.