Temperamental Nude

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The book delves into the revival of temperament theory in the eighteenth century, linking it to the moral and physiological classification of social classes. It highlights how this reimagined theory influenced artistic representation, particularly during the French Revolution. The author examines the interplay between art and politics, the evolution of the ideal body in art, and the emergence of a 'muscular' temperament. Key artworks, such as Bouchardon's statue of Cupid, are analyzed to reveal societal anxieties about character, appearance, and occupation in late eighteenth-century Europe.