Nude Woman Reclining

Van Gogh made several studies of reclining nudes during his Paris period of 1886-88, an unusual subject for him that reflected both his academic study under Cormon and his engagement with the tradition of the French nude. This 1887 nude is painted with the directness and lack of idealization characteristic of his approach to all human subjects — the model is a real person in a real space, not a goddess or allegory. Working in the tradition of Courbet's realist nudes rather than academic idealization, Van Gogh brought his developing Impressionist palette to a genre he rarely revisited after leaving Paris.

The figure is rendered with confident, direct brushwork that captures form without academic polishing. Van Gogh's Paris palette — lighter and more chromatic than his Nuenen period — is visible in the warm flesh tones and varied background treatment. The composition places the figure horizontally across the canvas in the traditional reclining pose.