[Female Nude from the Back]
1870s
Medium
Platinum print
Dimensions
11.0 x 15.3 cm (4 5/16 x 6 in.)
Classification
Photographs
Department
Photographs
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
David Hunter McAlpin Fund, 1943
Accession Number
43.87.26
Tags
Art Historical Context
This evocative *Female Nude from the*, captured in the 1870s, exemplifies the dawn of photography as a fine art medium. Produced as a platinum print—a pioneering technique introduced around 1873—this small-scale image (11.0 x 15.3 cm) showcases the nude female form viewed from behind, emphasizing graceful contours and subtle musculature. The anonymity of the artist underscores the's experimental spirit, when photographers pushed boundaries to rival painting's intimacy and realism. Platinum prints were revolutionary for their extraordinary tonal range, from deep blacks to delicate highlights, ...
About the Artist
Unknown
The artist designated as "Unknown" in our virtual museum's collection exemplifies a poignant chapter in art history: creators whose identities have faded into obscurity despite the enduring power of their work. With only one known artwork attributed to them in our holdings, this figure represents countless anonymous hands that shaped visual culture across centuries. Museums worldwide, including th...