Nude Seated on a Couch

Walter Richard Sickert 1860 - 1942

Summary

Study of a nude woman seated on a long low stool, with one leg perched up on the stool and one arm resting on her knee. Domestic setting with a mirror in the background to the right.

Display Label

Interior with Nude Figure 1914 Walter Richard Sickert 1860-1942 Oil on canvas Unlike the nudes of Renoir, which focus on visual pleasure, Sickert emphasises the reality of the situation facing us. Often he employs ambiguous narratives to achieve this. Here, the reflection of a clothed male figure is glimpsed, which emphasises the woman's nakedness. This unsettling device is often employed by Sickert, perhaps inspired by Manet's famous Déjeuner sur L'Herbe. Sickert was renowned for his knowledge of French art and in 1911 became leader of the Camden Town Group, who experimented with Post-Impressionist techniques. He was also a member of the New English Art Club and had earlier been a studio assistant to Whistler, through whom he met Edgar Degas in Paris. Charles L Rutherston gift 1925.578