Three quarter male nude with disk 1861

Mariano Fortuny Marsal created this nude drawing with graphite. Fortuny lived during a time when Orientalism was fashionable, and his travels in Morocco influenced his art. Here, we encounter a male nude, not as a classical hero, but as an earthy, perhaps even vulnerable man. Fortuny's choice to depict his model with a full beard and a slightly unkempt appearance challenges traditional idealized forms. The disk in his hand, a simple prop, doesn't quite fit a heroic narrative; instead, it accentuates the man's physical presence. Consider the absence of color, the starkness of the graphite. It brings a raw, almost photographic quality to the work. It invites us to consider the social and cultural norms of the time. While nudes were common in academic art, they often served allegorical purposes, but here it seems Fortuny aimed for a kind of realism, a study of the male form that is both intimate and detached. This drawing, with its quiet intensity, offers a glimpse into the changing attitudes towards the body and identity. It is not just a nude; it is a statement about seeing and being seen.