Weiblicher Akt, vornüber gekrümmt 

Victor Müller created this study of a female nude using graphite on paper, a common pairing for academic sketches. The drawing captures a figure bending forward, her arm outstretched. What's interesting here is not the subject matter itself - nudes were bread and butter for 19th-century artists - but the labor implied in the making. Notice the dense hatching that defines the form, built up through countless tiny strokes. This isn't a quick sketch; it's a sustained engagement, a process of gradually coaxing the figure into being. Graphite, in its industrial form, speaks to the rise of mass production. Yet, here, it's used in a highly manual way, channeling the artist's focused energy. The drawing is a testament to the artist's skill, but also to the sheer time invested. It reminds us that even in an age of increasing mechanization, the human hand remains a powerful tool, capable of imbuing a simple material with depth and life. It’s a good reminder of the ways in which craft skills undergird the very idea of “fine art.”