line drawing of reclining nude figure

Recumbent Nude Woman (Femme nue allongée), not dated

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Rupert Carabin was a master carver who put his talents to use making elaborate Art Nouveau furniture, usually featuring elements carved as female nudes. To build up a repertoire of poses, Carabin made photographic studies of prostitutes. Lots of them. And often in seductive poses. Some 700 are preserved at the Musée d’Orsay in Paris. From these photographs, Carabin executed innumerable drawings he used in creating his functional sculptural pieces. Most have minimal shading to accentuate the forms. The figures are usually shown in isolation with little in the way of accessories or context. The present drawing has just enough shading to indicate that the woman is illuminated from our right and shows scant indication of drapery. Nonetheless, with great economy of line, Carabin has managed to impart a strong sense of presence—the fleshiness of her body, her position in space, and her seemingly animated personality.

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Details
Title
Recumbent Nude Woman (Femme nue allongée)
Artist Life
Saverne, Bas-Rhin 1862–Strasbourg 1932
Role
Artist
Accession Number
2020.92.1
Provenance
[Mathieu Néouze, Paris, until 2013; to Weisberg]; Yvonne and Gabriel Weisberg, Minneapolis (2013–20; given to Mia)
Curator Approved

This record has been reviewed by our curatorial staff but may be incomplete. These records are frequently revised and enhanced. If you notice a mistake or have additional information about this object, please email collectionsdata@artsmia.org.

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line drawing of reclining nude figure