Exotic History

Many artists merged the successfull genres of nude and history painting. Here an example by the French Painter Jean Andre Rixens (1846-1924) who adds even orientalism. Nevertheless the result was one of the best 19th century academic nudes.

Cleopatra (1874)

Exotic Symbolism

Here two more symbolistic paintings by Luis Ricardo Falero, which preveal him as one of the forefathers of modern fantasy art. But probably Falero has even influenced modern advertising.

The Balance of the Zodiac

A Fairy Under Starry Skies

Neo-Rococo

These paintings are from the French artist Guillaume Seignac (1870 - 1924). Seignac was typical for the French academic style of the Salon, where he was very successfull with his mythological and nude paintings. Normally he combined both.


Usually its told that the French academic style had its roots in Neo-classicism. But I think at least Seignac is nearly pure Neo-Rococo. Here are the same pastel colors, the same lascivious women in the same poses. The only difference is that the women are a little less curvy and maybe a little more childish.
Maybe its a influence of the Pre-Raphaelites or only an adaption to contemporary taste.

Renaissance Danae

This Danae is by the Flemish renaissance painter Jan Gossaert (ca.1478-1532) and from about 1527. Although its very erotic for its time you should notice that Danae's passion is reduced to a naked breast and legs, else she seemed a little bored.
Artists would learn a lot about that.

Oriental Beauties

Here two Oriental Beauties by the Spanish painter Luis Ricardo Falero (1851-1896).


One of the paintings has a more oriental background, the other a more historical.
But thats typical for Falero. He was only looking for something exotic where his women could pose.
Orient or history didn'd make much difference.

The Judgement of Paris

The Judgement of Paris, is one of the oldest subjects in European Painting. It was already popular by greek and roman artist. And at the end of the middle ages it became one of the most favoured reasons to show three female nudes.

Paris the son of Priam has to judge the beauty of the three goddesses: Hera Aphrodite Athena. This led at the end to the Trojan War. But for the most artists an their buyers it was the real men's fantasy: one man made his choice, and the goddesses are posing.

There are a lot of these paintings. The most painters from Renaissance to the late 19th century did at least one. We will start with two:



The first is by Adriaen van der Werff (1659-1722) a Dutch Baroque Era Painter. Its interesting because its at the border between Baroque, Classizism and Rococo.



The second is a very late example and is by the Austrian painter Ivo Saliger (1894-1987). He was one of the most successful artists in the Third Reich and its easy to recognize the young Nazi-Leader in Paris. The goddesses are the typical KdF-women.
Nude-Art goes Propaganda!!

The Old Masters

Venus with a Mirror (ca. 1555) painted by one of the grat old masters:Tiziano Vecelli (c. 1488-1576).
The wing of the lile puti seems a little strange??

Pandora - 19th century nudes

Two times Pandora by the French painter Jules Joseph Lefebvre (1836-1911). She helds her famous box containing all the evils of the world. But thats only a symbol indicating that this pretented to be pandora. Lefebvres real intention was to paint another two naked women, which he could sell so well.
You shouldn't forget that greek women an the old vase-paintings usually wore clothes.

Salome the Femme Fatale

Salome painting by the belgian painter Léon Herbo (1850-1907).

One of the most popular subjects at the end of the 19th century was Salome. Different to older paintings she appears now as the incarnation of exotism and seduction. Oscar Wilde brought her to the theatre and a little later Richard Strauss wrote an adaption for the opera.
She was THE women of the fin de siecle.



Many artists like the american painter Robert Henri (1865–1929) transferred the old myth to their modern world of nightclubs and bars. Salome appeared as the prototype of the modern vamp or femme fatale.

The Golden Shower

Danae visited by Zeus, who turned himself into a golden shower was a very poppular subject for artists since the Renaissance. Here the version a of a french painter called Alexandre Jacques Chantron (1842-1918).

Théodore Chassériau

Here a scene called "The Harem Bath" by the french painter Théodore Chassériau (1819-1856), who specialised in historical and exotic scenes, which he normally mixed up.