Liggend mannelijk naakt, half opzittend geleund op de rechterarm 1765 - 1781

Jean Grandjean sketched "Liggend mannelijk naakt, half opzittend geleund op de rechterarm" using graphite. Grandjean was a Dutch painter, draughtsman and etcher whose work often focused on idealized figures drawn from mythology. The male nude occupies a prominent position within art history, often laden with symbolism and projecting classical ideals of beauty. During Grandjean's era, the male nude was used to express power, heroism, and divine connections, but also to normalize a white, male-centered view of aesthetics and importance. This drawing captures a male nude reclined, but active; the raised arm almost implying a reaching. The drawing invites us to contemplate the narratives of the body and the ways in which societal norms are embedded within artistic representation. It challenges us to think about whose bodies are valorized and why. In many ways, the image is an emotional study that seeks to explore feelings through the use of line, light, and the human form.