Artwork
Nude with Flowering Branch
Nude with Flowering Branch is an oil painting by the Realist artist Gustave Courbet. It dates from 1863 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
About this work
Technique & Style
Stylistically, the painting depicts a nude figure alongside a flowering branch, integrating natural elements into the composition.
Created in 1863, Nude with Flowering Branch is executed in oil paint on a canvas support. The work measures approximately 74.9 centimeters in height and 61 centimeters in width, presenting a genre classified as a nude. Stylistically, the painting depicts a nude figure alongside a flowering branch, integrating natural elements into the composition.
As a product of Gustave Courbet's practice, the piece reflects the artist's handling of oil media to render the human form and botanical details within a relatively intimate, square-format scale. The physical condition and specific brushwork handling are not detailed in the available records, but the medium and dimensions are well-documented within the collection history of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
History & Provenance
Nude with Flowering Branch is an oil painting on canvas created in 1863 by Gustave Courbet. The work measures 74.9 × 61 cm and depicts a nude figure with a flowering branch, reflecting the artist’s realist approach. Its inception date is recorded as 1863‑01‑01, and the material consists of oil paint on canvas.
The painting entered the collection of Louisine Havemeyer, who later bequeathed it to the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where it remains part of the museum’s holdings.
Since its acquisition, Nude with Flowering Branch (1863) has been held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. The painting is accessioned under inventory number 29.100.57. Originally owned by collector Louisine Havemeyer, it entered the museum’s holdings as part of her bequest.
The work has been featured in major exhibitions, including the museum’s own presentations of nineteenth-century European painting, though specific traveling exhibitions remain undocumented in available sources.
Overview
Gustave Courbet completed Nude with Flowering Branch in 1863, an oil painting that exemplifies his commitment to Realism. The work depicts a female figure holding a branch adorned with blossoms, presented without idealization. This significant piece is part of the collection at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, representing a pivotal moment in 19th-century French art.
Subject & Meaning
The painting presents a standing female nude, her arms raised as she holds a branch bearing small white flowers. Courbet's approach to the subject reflects his Realist principles, portraying the figure directly rather than conforming to idealized forms or allegorical narratives prevalent in academic art. The emphasis is on the observed reality of the human form and a simple, natural element.
Context
Created during a period of artistic transition, Nude with Flowering Branch aligns with Gustave Courbet's leadership in the Realism movement. He deliberately moved away from the polished finishes and mythological themes favored by the French Academy and the emotional excesses of Romanticism. Instead, Courbet championed an art grounded in direct observation and the tangible world, challenging established artistic norms of his era.
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Artist & collection
Artist
Jean Désiré Gustave Courbet (UK: KOOR-bay; US: koor-BAY; French:; 10 June 1819 – 31 December 1877) was a French painter who led the Realism movement in 19th-century French painting.
