Reclining Nude (II)

Artist William Brooker (Croydon, London, England, 1918 - 1983)

Date1955

Mediumoil on canvas

ClassificationsPaintings And Drawings

DimensionsOverall: Height: 63.3 cm, Width: 76.2 cm
Frame: Height: 87.5 cm, Width: 101 cm

AcquisitionPurchased in 1958 with income from the Macdonald Bequest.

LocationView by Appointment - Aberdeen Treasure Hub

Object numberABDAG002168

Keywords

About MeBrooker's work was located within the broad genre of English Impressionism, continuing the tradition established by Vuillard and Bonnard, but translated into its distinctly English idiom by Walter Sickert, Harold Gilman and other artists of the 'Camden Town Group'.

Brooker's nude paintings often depict dark and dingy interiors, ill-lit models and subdued décor, invariably painted in a robust style. This genre owes much to Sickert's concept of the modern naked figure, which he also sought to place in a contemporary and unglamourised setting.

There is more than a hint of voyeurism in the way that the spectator looks over the model's body while she lies naked on the bed. Her pose is passive which suggests she is ready to be scrutinised in an impersonal manner by the artist. Although the artist is not in the painting, his presence is represented by his paintbrushes on the table in the foreground of the painting.