Nu femení (Female Nude)

There are three oil paintings by Ramon Casas depicting female nudes in the collections of the Cau Ferrat. They are Nu amb guitarra (Nude with Guitar) and Nu femení d’escorç (Foreshortened Female Nude) in the Fountain Room, and Nu femení (Female Nude) in the office. Only the first one is dated, from 1894, but the similarity of the two means that we can date them from around the same time. The interest in the undulating lines and the arabesques of the forms show the clear influence from some works by Auguste Rodin, such as Andromeda and Danaide. Therefore, we can detect the ascendency of this great French sculptor in the works of painters who were fleeing from all forms of academicism and seeking more independent solutions. This is an evidence of how Rodin’s work exerted an influence beyond the field of sculpture. (Museu del Cau Ferrat, Sitges, 30587)