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A painting of a person’s back and shoulder, rendered in bold patches of orange, white and muted grey. The figure is seen from the side, with the composition focusing on the curve of the shoulder and upper arm.

Art: A new series of nudes from French painter Etienne Gros

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Date
4 November 2013

Remember those nude sculptures that Etienne made last year out of foam? We went nuts for those! And these are great too. His new paintings are a series of enormous canvases on which are splattered squidgy naked people with vibrant colours washed over them. What’s incredible about this series of paintings, aside from how bloody huge they are, is the feeling they evoke of being in the womb. Not that I can remember exactly what it was like in there, but I would imagine it’s like these paintings, all tangled limbs and bright colours. And cramped.

A painting of a person’s torso and arm, rendered in bold patches of orange, white and purple. The figure is cropped and angled, with textured, layered brushstrokes creating a sense of depth and movement.
Above

Etienne Gros: Peintures

A painting of a reclining figure, seen from a high angle. The body is rendered in textured patches of white, yellow, and orange against a dark, moody background.
Above

Etienne Gros: Peintures

A painting of a person’s torso and hips from behind. The figure is rendered in broad, textured strokes of yellow, pink, white and blue.
Above

Etienne Gros: Peintures

A painting of a person’s torso and folded arms, rendered in bold red, white and black. The figure is tightly curled, with thick, textured brushstrokes creating a sense of weight and tension.
Above

Etienne Gros: Peintures

A painting of a figure seen from behind, their head tilted back and shoulders hunched. Bold patches of white, yellow and pink paint are layered across the figure's back against a dark, moody background.
Above

Etienne Gros: Peintures

A close-up painting of a person’s torso, curled into a tight, fetal position. The skin is layered with textured patches of ochre, white and rust-red paint.
Above

Etienne Gros: Peintures

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About the Author

Liv Siddall

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Liv joined It’s Nice That as an intern in 2011 and worked across online, print and events, and was latterly Features Editor before leaving in May 2015.

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