Academy Study of a Male Nude 

Editor: So, this is Joseph Highmore’s *Academy Study of a Male Nude*. It doesn't have a specific date, and it’s a drawing at the Tate. I am curious about the choice of the block as a prop. What can you tell me about this work? Curator: The preparatory nature of this study makes the material and process central. The paper, the ink, the careful rendering of muscle. Look at the block. It's not just a prop; it’s a crafted object, a product of labour, just like the drawing. What does the artist’s focus on the materiality of both the figure and the support suggest about artistic production in this period? Editor: That's a new way to consider the drawing, focusing on the materials themselves and the labor. Thanks! Curator: Indeed. It shifts our focus from mere representation to the actual means of its creation.