Marie Jordan Nude, Seen from the Back

An intimate image of a woman in the bedroom or at her toilette is an age-old theme in art. We see her nude, from behind, and put the painter, draughtsman, or photographer out of our mind. She imagines herself alone, unobserved. This is how Breitner photographed his mistress Marie, sitting on a bed or about to step into a zinc tub to bathe herself.