The brazen displays of nudity read quite differently in the two paintings. The facial expression in Picasso’s painting is an invitation to an unknown voyeur who seems to be standing just outside of the picture plane. This overt sexuality is intentionally challenging, forcing viewers to acknowledge the sexual nature of the subject of the female nude that was once unacknowledged fact. Sensuality in the nudes of the past has been implied, but in Picasso’s it is intensely obvious. Art historian Patricia Leighton describes Picasso’s overtly sexual and irreverent treatment of the female nude as a challenge to society. In a move that is possibly even more challenging to tradition, Modersohn-Becker’s woman instead seems disinterested in if not completely unaware of the viewer, taking away the sexuality of the female form. Her nude is not inviting any man in, but instead rebelliously ignoring any viewer who intends to be a voyeur. Instead of challenging culture playing up the sexuality of the female nude like Picasso, Modersohn-Becker rejects it completely.