Sketches of a nude female 1842

Józef Simmler made these sketches of a nude female in the 19th century in Poland. The image is of a female nude in two different poses, rendered with loose pencil strokes, the artist captures fleeting moments of everyday life. During this time, Polish art sought to affirm national identity. Simmler trained at the Warsaw School of Fine Arts. As art academies gained influence, the nude became a central subject in academic training. The nude figure was considered the most appropriate subject for history painting, and mastery of the nude was seen as the basis for all other forms of art. Simmler would have been involved in the institutional structures for art education which helped to shape the canon of art. His art helped to form a distinctly Polish contribution to European art. By studying the nude, the artist engaged in the creation and recreation of Poland’s place within the wider world. Art historical research into the archives of the Warsaw School of Fine Arts helps us to understand the training of artists at this time and their contribution to the construction of national identity.