Nude in the Forest 

Julius Leblanc Stewart painted 'Nude in the Forest,' but we don't know exactly when. It's an oil on canvas, privately owned. The nymph is depicted in an idealised, perhaps even romanticised, manner. The cultural backdrop here is the late 19th century, a time when academic art still held sway, with its emphasis on classical themes. But, as art became more commercial, the nude served a dual purpose. It was acceptable because of its classical origins, but it was also a way of attracting interest. Notice how the female figure is both part of nature and separate from it. Art historians like me dig into exhibition records, letters, and other documents to understand how the norms of academic painting played out in the market, and to understand the complex social role of art.