Staand mannelijk naakt, op de rug gezien (2e prijs 1773) Possibly 1773

Editor: So, here we have "Standing Male Nude, Seen from the Back," possibly from 1773, by Wybrand Hendriks. It’s a drawing, a mix of pencil and charcoal, and… honestly, I find it quite melancholic. He looks so pensive. What do you see in this piece? Curator: Melancholy, you say? Interesting. Perhaps it's the pose, that weight shifted onto one leg, the slight downward tilt of his head – or the almost haunting use of light and shadow, evoking the feel of dusk...almost as though he knows something we don’t! It was made for an art competition. Have you considered the academic conventions this refers to? Editor: Not really… It just struck me as very personal. The lines are so delicate. It almost feels intimate. Curator: It does, doesn't it? Though produced as a contest piece, you're absolutely right - there’s an undeniable sense of humanity, isn't there? It's like stepping into his quiet moment, and glimpsing that feeling, of being utterly alone...it almost wants me to ask him what troubles him so. And how he keeps his hair in place. Editor: I can see that. The shadow feels like his emotional weight made visible. What have you learned, dear drawing? Curator: Well, to reconsider the 'academic', to find the deeply human within these formal constraints – and to possibly research antique pomades. It seems even 'exercises' are conversations, just waiting to unfold. What do you make of it now? Editor: That it makes you reflect on things beyond art. You never know what you'll discover. That's so beautiful.