Studies of a Female Nude [recto] c. 1910s

Editor: This is Arthur Beecher Carles' "Studies of a Female Nude," made around the 1910s, and it’s a pencil drawing. The initial feeling is sort of academic, a little detached… but something about the positioning of the figures feels very modern to me. What do you see in this piece, considering its context? Curator: The nude form, historically, is loaded with symbolic meaning – often representing vulnerability, but also, depending on the pose and artist, notions of power and control. Carles presents three distinct poses of a single model. Doesn't it strike you as intriguing that we’re seeing almost a fragmented portrayal of idealized feminine beauty, or even deconstructing it, much in keeping with the growing influences of psychology regarding the subconscious, especially considering it's just a study? Editor: Absolutely. There’s a clear emphasis on line and form over detail; I agree, this doesn’t feel like a celebration of beauty as much as a deconstruction, or at least an exploration. Were artists in the early 20th century aware that they were departing from older traditions in depicting nudity? Curator: I think there was an undeniable consciousness of breaking with tradition, influenced by Freud’s work on the fragmented self. Did the proliferation of visual imagery and photography during this era begin to impact how we understand seeing versus knowing? Perhaps, they might ask: “What is the inner life of our subjects?” – I see that quest emerging here. Editor: That makes me rethink my first impression. The figures do feel exposed, almost psychologically, as opposed to just physically. Thank you for shifting my perspective on this work. Curator: And thank you for observing these wonderful details! Thinking about the emotional, psychological weight images carry through time gives me a greater appreciation for these figures' complexity.