La grande odalisque

Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres painted this famous odalisque (a female attendant in a Turkish harem) in 1814, creating one of the most recognizable nudes in art history. The painting caused quite a stir when it was first shown because of its unusual proportions. Critics pointed out that the woman's back has far too many vertebrae and her limbs are impossibly elongated. But Ingres wasn't interested in anatomical accuracy. He was after an idealized, sensual beauty that flowed across the canvas like a melody. The cool blue drapery and luxurious details like the turban, peacock fan, and jeweled bracelet give the scene an exotic, dreamlike quality that was fashionable in 19th-century France. Ingres was a Neoclassical painter who valued smooth, precise technique and graceful lines above all else. You can see this in how flawlessly he rendered the woman's pale skin and the rich textures surrounding her. The painting now hangs in the Louvre and remains a perfect example of how artists sometimes bend reality to create their vision of perfect beauty.