Gustave Caillebotte - Naked Woman Lying on a Couch (1873)

• Title: Naked Woman Lying on a Couch (Femme Nue Étendue Sur Un Divan)
• Artist: Gustave Caillebotte (1848–1894)
• Date: 1873
• Made in: France
• Medium: Oil on canvas
• Dimensions: 113 x 87 cm
• Location: Private collection (originally in the collection of the artist)
• Photo credit: User "Geneaologist" on Wikipedia in 2013 credits The Metropolitan Museum of Art

The painting "Naked Woman Lying on a Couch" is a notable early work by Gustave Caillebotte, created during the formative years of the Impressionist movement. The painting depicts a reclining female nude resting on a plush couch, surrounded by soft fabrics and cushions. Caillebotte's attention to texture, light, and shadow creates a sense of intimacy and realism, emphasizing the natural contours of the body.

Unlike the idealized nudes of academic tradition, Caillebotte's portrayal is realistic, capturing the model in a relaxed and natural pose. The painting's subtle interplay of light and shadow enhances the serene and intimate atmosphere, inviting viewers to contemplate the quiet beauty of the scene.

Caillebotte painted another now famous painting of a female nude, a little later in his career. It seems both might have stayed in his private collection, maybe because both were of women Gustave Caillebotte had a relationship with.