[Nymph Philosophy] Why the nude female form?

[Koen G]

The example of Christine de Pizan is worth noting because it is contemporary with the VM. The British Library's commentary on the scene is quite interesting:

Here, their nudity emphasises their intimate immersion in the waters of wisdom and their likeness to the fountain, ‘beautiful, clear, and healthy’. In this way, Christine uses the nude to represent the ideals of wisdom and to emphasise women’s embodiment of intellectual values.