Male Nude and Other Figures c. 18th century

Curator: The artwork before us is a pen and brown ink drawing by John Hamilton Mortimer, dating to the 18th century. It's entitled "Male Nude and Other Figures" and is currently held at the Art Institute of Chicago. Editor: The mood strikes me as…despairing? There’s something very defeated about the central figure; slumped posture, head in hand. The ink wash seems to reinforce that sombre tone. Curator: I agree. It’s interesting to note how Mortimer, though trained in the academic style, employed such loose, gestural lines. The use of pen and brown ink wash, likely applied quickly, lends an immediacy to the image. Consider the materiality – paper, pen, ink – readily available tools that facilitate the artist’s expressive intentions. Editor: Precisely. And that quickness almost anticipates the Romantic sensibility to come, despite its creation within the 18th century. The social climate was changing, tastes were evolving and there was interest to create artwork that went beyond tradition. This type of drawing was also considered appropriate within educational academies like the Royal Academy. Curator: We also need to account for the social history that painting with oil afforded wealth that other media wouldn’t, so we have to assume the socio-economics in place allowed him to explore work like this using simple processes without need for outside influence. The artist also used very little of that pigment; the sketch stands out among its other traits. Editor: True, the accessibility of drawing also opens it up as a medium for exploring more… raw emotions, perhaps? History painting often dealt with grand narratives of heroism and virtue, but this drawing, it's more introspective. Curator: It absolutely pushes against the boundaries of the period. There is that use of classical figuration and yet there’s something decidedly personal and vulnerable here. I feel the weight of that contrast. Editor: A fascinating insight, bringing forth not just the social expectations and norms, but the actual human touch to it, too. Thanks to your deep knowledge, I can only start pondering upon this picture a bit more. Curator: Likewise; thanks to the depth of your analysis, I now see and understand this from another point of view that focuses on the production value rather than simply historical reference.