Standing Female Nude (recto)Alcantara Bridge, Toledo (verso)
- Artist: Dora Carrington
- Date: (verso) c.1910-1914 recto/c.1919
- Medium: oil on canvas
- Museum: The Courtauld Gallery
- Collection record: The Courtauld Gallery website
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About this artwork
This is the Standing Female Nude (recto)Alcantara Bridge, Toledo (verso) by Dora Carrington. The canvas is a two‑sided study, a fascinating glimpse into Carrington’s early twentieth‑century practice. On the recto, a poised female figure dominates the frame, rendered in oil with a restrained palette that hints at her later, more colorful work. The body is simplified into soft planes, a subtle nod to the influence of Cubism, yet Carrington keeps the human warmth of her subjects. The figure’s posture is relaxed, almost as if caught mid‑breath, which invites the viewer to linger on the subtle play of light across the skin.
Flip the canvas, and the verso transports us to the Alcantara Bridge in Toledo. Here, the brushwork becomes more expressive, the sky a wash of muted blues and ochres. The bridge’s arches are suggested by a few confident strokes, creating a sense of distance and atmosphere. The two scenes, though separate, share a compositional rhythm—both use vertical lines and a careful balance of light and shadow.
The work dates from around 1919 for the nude and 1910‑1914 for the bridge, placing it in the formative years of Carrington’s career. Oil on canvas gives the piece a rich, luminous quality, and the double‑sided format invites us to consider how a single work can hold two distinct narratives, each speaking to different aspects of Carrington’s artistic vision.
See it in person
Standing Female Nude (recto)Alcantara Bridge, Toledo (verso) hangs in The Courtauld Gallery at Somerset House, London. Point your phone at any artwork there and audioguide.london plays a free audio guide in six languages — no app download needed.
