Artwork Page for Study of a Male Nude (verso)

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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)
Support
Blue laid paper
Measurements
Sheet: 61.9 x 43.6 cm (24 3/8 x 17 3/16 in.)
Credit Line
Purchase from the J. H. Wade Fund 1961.318.b
Public Domain
You can copy, modify, and distribute this work, all without asking permission. Learn more about CMA's Open Access Initiative.
Location
Not on view
Print
?

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.”
A vertically oriented black and white chalk drawing on blue paper depicts a nude male with a light skin tone. Facing our right in profile, he raises one arm overhead and rests a foot on a rock. His other hand rests on his bent knee, and his genitalia is shown. White highlights define his muscular form against dark hatching to the left. Scattered yellow spots and a thin border mark the paper surface.

Study of a Male Nude (verso)

c. 1810

Pierre-Paul Prud'hon

(French, 1758–1823)
France, 19th century

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