Fine art nude in the Landscape

The intersection of nature and sensuality pays homage to the tradition of Venus depicted in the wilderness. Art collectors appreciate the combination of a figure study with a landscape composition. The representation of human as animal and the comparison of feminine beauty to the natural terrain are both themes. The timeless aspect of the landscape contrasts with the short-lived primetime of a human lifespan.

The old masters of painting, such as Raphael and Botticelli during the Renaissance, and later artists such as impressionist Renoir, paired the figures of women with picturesque terrains. Photographers such as Edward Weston and Alfred Stieglitz followed suit. Surrealist photographer Jerry Uelsmann furthered the pairing, montaging figures to appear integral with their wilderness habitats.

To the uninitiated, the context of the landscape adds legitimacy to the otherwise taboo subject of the undraped form in art. For others, the parallels between the body and the land are an observable banquet of organic texture, sweeping lines, and visual power of the sky.