Blonde Nude, 1921

About the Work

Whore or saint? The woman's religious-looking pose makes us think of the penitent sinner Mary Magdalene, while the aggressive demonstration of her nudity recalls images of Venus or pictures of pin-ups. Vallotton counters the initial impression of "sweetness" by means of deformities, which irritate the viewer. For example, the upper arm is curiously shortened and the upper thighs seem to lack spatial depth. As is customary in Vallotton's nudes, the homogenous overall effect is missing in this picture, too. The artist makes use of the voyeuristic tendencies of the audience. It is a game of illusion and disillusion, whose ambivalence determines the visual experience.