Vintage Nude
(click title for sketch)
This is a preparatory sketch for an oil painting. It’s based on a naughty photograph from the 1890s.
The lady’s name and story (as are the photographer’s) are long lost to history, but even after one hundred and twenty years, the intensity of her gaze struck me. Back in those days, film was not as sensitive, so exposures were often several minutes long. I wonder how long she had to hold still in that position.