Nude studies for the figures of David and Pius IX in the painting ‘The Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary’ 1864

Józef Simmler created these nude studies in pencil, as preparatory sketches for figures in his painting, 'The Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary'. The composition features two male figures kneeling in prayer, their bodies rendered with delicate lines and subtle shading. Consider the formal qualities of this sketch. Simmler’s choice of graphite allows for a nuanced exploration of light and shadow, which define the musculature and contours of the figures. The kneeling posture is captured from different angles, allowing Simmler to meticulously study the body's form and spatial relationships. The use of the nude form relates to academic traditions of anatomical study, yet it also introduces a layer of classical idealization into a religious context. This interplay between the classical and the religious is suggestive of the ongoing dialogue between artistic conventions and theological narratives in 19th-century art.