The watercolor painting titled “Reclining Nude” was created by artist Edward Hopper between approximately 1924 and 1927. Hopper, associated with the New Realism movement, chose a paper medium for this work, which measures 50.42 x 35.18 cm. As the name implies, this artwork falls within the nude painting genre.
The painting depicts a nude female figure reclined and seemingly at rest. The composition mainly focuses on the contrast of the figure’s pale skin against the dark and vivid tones of the pillows and sheets. The subject is lying on her side, with her back to the viewer, and her head rests comfortably on a pillow, obscured from sight. The interplay of light and shadow across her body accentuates the curves and shape of her form. Hopper has masterfully captured the tactile quality of the fabrics through his use of watercolor, the soft textures of the pillows against the smoothness of the skin. The naturalistic portrayal and sparse setting are characteristic of Hopper’s style, which often centered on realism and the exploration of solitary figures and introspective moments.
