In the context of Phaedra (Cabanel), explain the The Female Nude of the Elements from his past works.
Cabanel's most famous female nude figure is his Birth of Venus. This work shows a reclining female nude with her hands above her head, harkening back to Titian's Bacchanal of the Andrians. Her sexualized pose emphasizes the erotic nature of Venus, while her overlapped legs suggest a soft modesty. While Phaedra is not overtly sexual, she is a horizontal nude whose character is associated with lustful love, showing continuity between Cabanel's past works and this one.
Phaedra Birth of Venus Bacchanal of the Andrians