Extended Javanese
1875
Fernand Cormon, the teacher of rebels like Van Gogh and Toulouse-Lautrec, was actually a staunch traditionalist, and this 1875 painting proves it. Titled 'Javanaise étendue' (Reclining Javanese Woman), it captures the 19th-century French obsession with exoticism and colonial subjects. The model lies draped in white fabric against a deep crimson background, her dark hair fanning out dramatically. It’s a classic academic nude study, but the moody lighting and loose background brushstrokes show Cormon wasn't entirely immune to the changing artistic tides of his era.
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