Seated Female Nude (verso)

On the verso of a Courtauld Gallery sheet from 1830, Etty records a seated female nude in what appears to be a rapid life-class study. Female models were rare in the Royal Academy life class during this period, making Etty's extensive body of female studies all the more remarkable—he often hired private models to supplement the Academy sessions. His lifelong devotion to painting the female form earned both admiration for his technical mastery and criticism from Victorian moralists.

The seated pose creates flowing curves that Etty captures with economical brushwork appropriate to the time constraints of a life-class session. His flesh tones are warmer and more luminous in the female figure studies than in his male nudes, reflecting his particular sensitivity to the different qualities of feminine skin. The verso placement suggests this was a secondary study, possibly done during a break or from a different angle.