William Meyerowitz (1887-1981), a native of Russia, moved to the United States in 1908 to study at the National Academy of Design in New York. Meyerowitz was a painter and etcher whose work focused primarily on figures, landscapes, and musical subjects. As a student, Meyerowitz worked as a choir member at the Metropolitan Opera.
Meyerowitz’s Reclining Nude, depicts a woman reclining in a lush, idyllic landscape. This painting is somewhat unusual among Meyerowitz’s oeuvre. Meyerowitz is best known for his paintings of New York City street life and scenes of Gloucester Bay, where he lived with his wife, artist, Theresa Bernstein. The poetic and lyrical qualities of Reclining Nude evoke Meyerowitz’s love of music.