Studies of Male Figure late 19th-early 20th century

Charles Ricketts made this drawing, Studies of Male Figure, using red chalk on paper. Ricketts was a British artist associated with the Aesthetic movement of the late 19th century, a movement reacting against industrialisation and Victorian moralism. The drawing recalls the classical ideal of male beauty, a common theme in the Aesthetic movement. The use of red chalk and the focus on male nudes evokes the academic tradition. Art academies played a crucial role in shaping artistic taste and training artists to follow established conventions. Ricketts challenges those structures by idealising the male form, in the Pre-Raphaelite fashion, as a symbol of beauty. To understand the social and institutional context of this drawing, we can look into archival sources, exhibition catalogues, and critical reviews from the period. This research may shed light on how the drawing was received by audiences and whether it challenged or reinforced prevailing social norms.