Male nude from behind 23 - 1870

This is a pencil drawing of a male nude from behind, by Louis Eysen. Note the pose, in which the figure leans against a wall with a hand on his hip. The contrapposto stance, weight shifted to one leg, echoes classical sculptures, evoking notions of ideal beauty. We see this echoed again and again, across time from the Doryphoros of Polykleitos to Michelangelo's David. Yet, the turned back and shadowed face also convey introspection, vulnerability. We see the same emotional ambiguity when we note that male nudes historically represented strength and virility, but here the figure seems almost melancholic. These symbols have a life of their own, shape-shifting across centuries and cultures. The artist taps into our collective memory of art history and our subconscious understanding of the body as a vessel of both power and fragility. It is a powerful tension that resonates with viewers even today.