Standing Male Nude with Raised Right Arm Seen from Behind c. 1890 - 1915

Curator: Here we have John Singer Sargent's charcoal drawing, "Standing Male Nude with Raised Right Arm Seen from Behind," now housed at the Harvard Art Museums. Editor: It's powerful, with a dynamic tension radiating from the raised arm, though it feels unfinished, somehow, with those ghostly, trailing lines. Curator: Nudes, of course, echo the classical tradition, and I see here Sargent exploring ideas of strength and vulnerability, universal symbols of human experience. Editor: Absolutely. The stark contrast of light and shadow emphasizes the musculature, almost sculptural in its form, highlighting the male figure as an object of aesthetic contemplation. Curator: And beyond the aesthetic, consider the psychological weight of revealing oneself, the inherent exposure. Editor: Right. Sargent captures a raw, immediate presence through pure form—it's less about precise representation, and more about conveying kinetic energy. Curator: It's fascinating to consider the blend of classical ideals and modern immediacy in this study. Editor: Indeed, a confluence of past and present captured in charcoal.