Académie d’homme debout 

This is 'Académie d’homme debout', a drawing by Edgar Degas. It is rendered in pencil on paper, a seemingly straightforward combination. But consider what Degas is doing here. In art academies, life drawing was a critical step. Trainees would spend hours or even years learning to accurately depict the human form. This wasn't just about technical skill. It was about understanding the body as a machine, a system of levers and masses. Think of it as a way to build a visual vocabulary. The material, pencil on paper, is also important. Pencil allowed for quick, iterative work. Lines could be laid down, erased, and adjusted. The paper provided a neutral ground, allowing the artist to focus on form and proportion. In the end, these academic exercises provided the bedrock for many artists' careers. Degas, in mastering this process, gained the tools to innovate in his own way. The making of this drawing, then, is a key to understanding his later work.