Tamara de Lempicka (1898-1980)

Nu debout, vu de dos was painted in the midst of an idiosyncratic period of Lempicka’s oeuvre in which she was preoccupied with still-lifes, abstract compositions and works that appropriate imagery of old masters and antiquity. This canvas depicts a female nude with her back facing the viewer, leaning against a pedestal draped with a rich, blue cloth. The model’s setting is nondescript and anonymous, lacking depth in a way that reduces it to panes of neutral tones—the only other accent of color is found in the red thongs of her sandals. Two preceding works from the same year shed light onto the context of this mysterious scene. One, Nu au chapeau de paille, depicts a nude reclining in an armchair directly next to a small, armless classical bust which is situated in front of a curtain of the same blue cloth observed in Nu debout, vu de dos. The second, Nu au bras coupé, portrays a stark pale nude in a similar nondescript, geometric setting with one of her arms abruptly cut off. The dialogue created by these three works narrates a synthesis between living models and casts of antique sculptures. Lempicka emphasizes the corporeal life of the model in Nu debout, vu de dos by rendering her flesh with supple and luminous strokes.