Bernhard Hoetger’s Bronze Figural Vide-Poche ‘Le Vent’

This German Art Nouveau patinated bronze figural vide-poche dish, by Bernhard Hoetger, features a wind-blown nude with floral vines climbing her leg. The nude is far from the traditional representation of the exposed female form, it instead features a figure braced against an invisible wind, her voluminous locks blown dramatically outward, enveloping her. Despite her physically tense pose and the beautiful chaos of her hair, the figures expression suggestions she is in perfect, peaceful ecstasy. At her feet is a small dish that serves as the vide-poche.