Sitzender männlicher Akt mit erhobenen Armen 

Bonaventura Genelli made this pencil drawing of a nude male figure in the 19th century. Genelli was a German artist whose work often explored classical themes through a Neoclassical style, seen in the idealized form of the figure. Nudity in art has a long and complex history, particularly in the context of academic training. Life drawing, with nude models, was a cornerstone of artistic education in academies across Europe. It allowed artists to study anatomy and the human form, considered essential for history painting and other prestigious genres. But the nude also carried social and moral implications, as ideas of beauty and sexuality were always closely monitored within those institutional settings. To understand this drawing more fully, we might research the pedagogical methods of art academies in 19th-century Germany, alongside studies of the classical sculpture that inspired artists like Genelli. Only then we can appreciate the intricate relationship between artistic practice and social values that determined how art was taught, made, and seen.