Bold, Powerful and Unapologetic

Collector's Focus: Art of the Nude

Introduction by Chelsea Koressel

Some might argue that there’s a fine line between indecency and “art” when it comes to depictions of the nude figure—especially in our modern era. However, within art history, we’re provided a different perspective of the naked human form—a story that tells us not resort to shame or embarrassment, and dispels narratives of promiscuity or immorality. Instead, it’s a narrative of beauty and celebration.

33 Contemporary, Tempest, oil on panel, 30 x 24", by Brianna Lee.

“The nude first became significant in the art of ancient Greece, where athletic competitions at religious festivals celebrated the human body, particularly the male, in an unparalleled way,” says art historian Jean Sorabella in an article for the Metropolitan Museum of Art. “The athletes in these contests competed in the nude, and the Greeks considered them embodiments of all that was best in humanity. It was thus perfectly natural for the Greeks to associate the male nude form with triumph, glory and even moral excellence, values which seem immanent in the magnificent nudes of Greek sculpture.”

Forum Gallery, Woman with a Scar, graphite & colored pencil on paper, 44 x 30”, by Bill Vuksanovich.

Sorabella continues, “The ancestry of the female nude is distinct from the male. Where the latter originates in the perfect human athlete, the former embodies the divinity of procreation. Naked female figures are shown in very early prehistoric art, and in historical times, similar images represent such fertility deities as the Near Eastern Ishtar. The Greek goddess Aphrodite belongs to this family, and she too was imagined as life-giving, proud, and seductive.”

Looking at nude imagery today, we see broader discussions involving bodily ownership and using the nude figure as a message of vulnerability, strength and acceptance. For artist Brianna Lee, represented by 33 Contemporary, “her work focuses on the emotional interior world of her portrait subjects, often portraying them against dramatic landscapes that act as a metaphorical narrative of their life,” notes the gallery. “Her work aims to highlight the quiet inward strength and resilience of her female subjects. The use of contrasted lighting, and rich and emotive colors, convey the sentiment of each individual.”

Jeanne May, Agony is Frugal, oil and cold wax oil on cradled panel, 24 x 20"

Artist Bill Vuksanovich, represented by Forum Gallery, wows collectors with nude imagery like Woman with a Scar—bold, powerful and unapologetic. “[This piece] hovers on the edge of erotica while also offering the idea that her healed wound may be a metaphor for the injuries suffered by women under the scrutiny of the male gaze—it’s a tricky balance to maintain, and the intriguing drawing is both sensual and challenging,” writes Michael Pearce, American Art Collector contributing writer. “The frank model is seductive, but she is strong, and she seems to suggest there may be hope for healthy relationships which acknowledge and transcend violence and exploitation.”

Jeanne May, Just a Moment, oil and cold wax oil on canvas, 24 x 24"

Artist Jeanne May's work explores themes of solitude and resilience, portraying how moments of inner struggle can be met with calm acceptance. May’s compositions Agony is Frugal and Just a Moment, draw attention not only to the figure’s form but also to the complexity of the emotional landscape she inhabits, offering space to consider the strength found in stillness and the understated nature of personal anguish. “I have been drawn to the emotions of grief after losing my husband to cancer seven years ago,” the artist shares. “It was after his death that I started painting. Trying to express the contrasting emotions one feels during this process is difficult to put into words, but paint allows me to represent that there is beauty in grief. In this way my painting is self-healing.”

Lisa Rickard, Luna, oil on linen panel, 40 x 20"

Inspiration for Lisa Rickard’s allegorical figure painting Luna, came at a time when the artist felt desperate but not hopeless. “I envisioned a nude allegorical figure whose gesture embodied my feelings of despair laced with a very small measure of hopefulness,” she explains. “Her wings rose with hope preparing to bring her safely home while crouching down, fighting the urge to drop over the edge of despair. The cool, blue moon appears to support and comfort her in her time of need.”

The nude allegorical figure is Rickard’s preferred way of visually communicating emotional states of mind or to personify abstract concepts like the idea of time. “Allegory in visual art happens when the subject of the work with various elements of the composition successfully convey inherently invisible, universal aspects of being human,” she adds.

When collecting drawings, paintings or sculptures of the nude figure, Rickard says to “look for originality and artistic quality while prioritizing your emotional and intellectual enjoyment of the work.” —