Seated Nude Seen From Above 1888 - 1889

Paul Gauguin made this pastel drawing, Seated Nude Seen From Above, at an unknown date. Gauguin, like many of his contemporaries, sought to break from academic traditions, yet, inevitably, he brought many cultural assumptions with him. Here, we see a woman's body rendered in a way that both reveals and conceals. The downward gaze suggests a certain modesty or introspection, emotions not often granted to women who were painted nude. The composition invites us to consider the tension between the artist's perspective and the subject's own sense of self. Does the elevated viewpoint empower the viewer, or does it perhaps create a sense of detachment? Gauguin once said, "I close my eyes in order to see." This piece invites us to consider what is revealed and concealed when we look, not just with our eyes, but with our minds and hearts.