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Emile Zola's intense naturalism, his examination of the urban environment and refusal to shy away from difficult themes emboldened visual artists to follow the same path in their own works - Gervex among them. Zola's Nana was one of the most widely read naturalist novels from the moment of its appearance in book form. Here, Zola chronicled the rise, adulation and eventual fall and decay of a contemporary sex goddess. Edouard Manet created his version of Nana in 1877 (before the extensive text of the novel was published). Gervex created several versions of Nana, La Toilette following this tradition.
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