Nature Unveiling Herself before Science
This is a bronze statue done around 1899 by Louis-Ernest Barrias (1841-1905).
I saw it at the Boston Museum of Fine Art in 1981, as part of
an exhibit called "Corot to Braque: A Century of French Masters".
Quoting from the pamphlet:
Barrias's seductively draped female figure represents,
in allegorical form, Nature revealing her secrets to Science,
a fitting theme for the late nineteenth century.
The interest in nature literally apparent in the work of
the Barbizon school and the Impressionists is here portrayed in
the symbolic manner favored by Salon sculptors.
The erotic overtones of the figure's pose and the richly varied
colors of the bronze surface are characteristic of the opulent taste
of the late nineteenth century, while the flowing linear patterns
of the drapery and the curving outline of the figure suggest
the forms of Art Nouveau.
Well, whatever.
I just think she's hot.
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