The female figure is based on an 1854 photograph by J. V. de Villeneuve and has been interpreted as a representation of the art of the Academy or as Courbet's Muse for Realism.
The female figure was created from a 1854 photograph taken by J. V. de Villeneuve, and it has been understood as an artistic expression of the Academy's style or as a symbol of Courbet's artistic approach to realism.