Nude Man Reclining (recto); Man Facing Left with Out-stretched Arms (verso) 1800 - 1822

This ink drawing shows a nude man reclining, and the echoes of classical antiquity resonate deeply within it. Consider the figure’s pose – a direct descendant of ancient Greek and Roman sculptures of gods and heroes, embodying ideals of beauty and strength. Now, observe the arm raised, grasping what appears to be a measuring instrument. This gesture, seemingly simple, harkens back to the Vitruvian Man, an emblem of human perfection and divine order, as well as to the Greek Doryphoros by Polykleitos. The symbol of the raised hand, seen across cultures from ancient Egypt to the Renaissance, speaks of power, authority, and even divine intervention. Think of Moses raising his staff, or a Roman emperor addressing his troops. Such symbols create a powerful, subconscious link between the viewer and centuries of cultural memory. It’s a visual language that transcends time, continuously reinvented by the long shadow of the collective subconscious.