[Reclining Nude] 1851 - 1853

This calotype photograph, titled "[Reclining Nude]" and created by Julien Vallou de Villeneuve between 1851 and 1853, depicts a nude female figure reclining on a drapery. The figure's relaxed pose and the soft lighting create a sense of intimacy and vulnerability, characteristic of early photographic explorations of the human form. The work is considered a significant example of the early development of photography and its potential to depict the human body with a new level of realism and sensitivity. This photograph is now part of the collection at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City.