Staand mannelijk naakt 1789

Editor: Here we have Floris Croese's "Standing Male Nude" from 1789, rendered in graphite and charcoal on paper. It’s striking how the artist uses light and shadow to sculpt the figure's form, creating almost a three-dimensional effect on a two-dimensional surface. What strikes you most about this drawing? Curator: The immediate thing I notice is the availability of models in the late 18th century, alongside a revival in classical aesthetics. Think about the laborious process of charcoal and graphite production at the time, compared to today. Consider too, the economics surrounding art education; the social strata needed to afford this schooling. What kind of labour went into making this drawing a reality? Editor: That's a perspective I hadn't fully considered! It wasn't just the artist's labor but the labor involved in acquiring materials and even the model posing. What do you make of the contrast between the highly finished figure and the less defined background? Curator: It directs us to consider class, patronage and Neoclassicism's effect on late-stage feudalism. These materials - graphite and paper - they point towards industrialisation. I believe that Neoclassicism adopted material from a world increasingly defined by commerce to hearken back to antiquity in the face of rapid change. The work attempts to evoke something eternal, yet its very construction highlights social, economic and artistic practices rooted in labor and making. Does the pedestal offer stability or constraint to the labourer or artisan in this portrait? Editor: That's such a great point, it's almost contradictory in its message. Thank you! Curator: Thank you, thinking about how these issues play out helps sharpen my understanding of art as it confronts a society about to embark upon a revolution.