Nude Woman with Dog

Although the canvas bears the date of 1868, the year of its first public exhibition, it was undoubtedly painted around 1861-62. The model was L�ontine Renaude, mistress of the painter at the time.

The erotic character is evoked by the direct link between the woman and her dog. The affection shown for the animal serves as a metaphor for the sensual love for the lover, an accomplice spectator of the scene.

Courbet is sensitive to various influences here. The pose of the model, the drapery and the landscape of the background, as well as the presence of a small dog, a symbol of fidelity, allude to Titian. But the young woman does not have the classic beauty of a Danaë, her features are common. However, the almost perfect roundness of the body, like its velvety texture, attenuates the realistic assumption.

The amusement in which the young woman indulges, ignorant of the viewer, also evokes the gallant paintings of the 18th century rediscovered by the society of the Second Empire.

These sources underline the approach adopted by the artist in his desire to renew his nudes. The canvas indeed marks a notable evolution of Courbet’s female nudes towards a more gallant approach. Compared to the Bathers of 1840 (Montpellier, Mus�e Fabre), the silhouette of the young woman is refined, the touch lighter, the texture of the skin smoother.