Study of a Nude Woman, Seated Looking to the Right (recto) Study of a Male Nude (verso)

c. 1810

Pierre-Paul Prud'hon

(French, 1758–1823)

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Culture

France, 19th century

Medium

black and white chalk (both stumped)

Credit Line

Purchase from the J. H. Wade Fund 1961.318

Catalogue raisonné

Guiffrey 1151

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Location

Not on view

Did You Know?

Pierre-Paul Prud'hon was raised in the Cluny abbey by monks, who recognized and encouraged his artistic talent as a boy.

Description

This sheet is notable in its presentation of a woman, specifically one of Pierre-Paul Prud’hon’s favorite models, Marguerite—known for her curly hair and striking appearance. Following the artist’s death, more than 100 drawings were discovered in his studio, each portraying a closely studied nude figure like those shown here. The context of these works remains unclear: artists typically sketched from a model early in their training, but Prud’hon did so as a well-established painter. He saw drawing as a solitary practice, working consistently with white and black chalks on a paper described by one critic as “moonlit blue.”