From the 1870s onward, Fantin increasingly turned toward poetic compositions inspired by music, mythology, and fantasy, developing what became known as his œuvres d’imagination. [1] These works allowed him greater freedom from the close observation that characterized his portraits and still lifes and became an increasingly important part of his mature production.
Provenance
Gustave Tempelaere, Paris, after 1887
Dr. R. A. Kling, New York
New Mexico Museum of Art, 1962 (gifted by Dr. R. A. Kling, New York)
Deaccessioned, 2025
Catalogue note
Although Henri Fantin-Latour is best known for his flower still lifes and portraits, the female nude occupied an important place within the more imaginative side of his art. From the 1870s onward, Fantin increasingly turned toward poetic compositions inspired by music, mythology, and fantasy, developing what became known as his œuvres d’imagination. [1] These works allowed him greater freedom from the close observation that characterized his portraits and still lifes and became an increasingly important part of his mature production.
In Nude, a reclining female figure emerges from an indistinct setting of deep greens, blues, and reddish drapery. Her raised arm, inclined head, and elongated pose lend the composition a sense of languor, while the surrounding forms dissolve into loosely brushed passages of color. Rather than placing the figure within a clearly defined narrative, Fantin-Latour creates an atmospheric, almost dreamlike space in which the nude becomes the focus of the composition.
Fantin-Latour developed such figures through an extensive preparatory process, working from models, drawings, and photographs and often returning to earlier studies when constructing new compositions. [2] [3] His personal archive included a substantial collection of photographs of nude models, which formed part of the visual material from which he drew. [3] In the present work, however, observation is transformed through color, gesture, and atmosphere into a more poetic and elusive image, revealing a lesser-known aspect of Fantin-Latour’s artistic practice.
This note was written by Emily Mohan
[1] Musée du Luxembourg, “Henri Fantin-Latour: un artiste à fleur de peau” and “Les fééries de Fantin-Latour,” published in conjunction with Fantin-Latour: À fleur de peau, 2016–17.
[2] Musée de Grenoble, “Femme à mi-corps, nue, vue de trois-quart et le profil perdu,” collection entry.
[3] Musée du Luxembourg, “Fantin-Latour au travail d’après le nu,” published in conjunction with Fantin-Latour: À fleur de peau, 2016–17.