Male Figure Seated on a Column 1700 - 1800

This drawing of a male figure seated on a column was made by an anonymous artist using red chalk on paper. Chalk is interesting. As a material it is soft and earthy, coming from the ground. In this drawing, we see it employed in service of a very high ideal: the muscular male nude, carefully modeled with highlights and shadows. Notice how the artist uses the chalk to create depth and volume. The figure's back is particularly well-defined, with the chalk capturing the subtle curves and contours of his muscles. The draped cloth and the column he sits upon are more loosely rendered. Drawings like this were typically made in preparation for paintings or sculptures. It would have been a means of testing out a composition, and honing the artist’s skill at rendering the human form. But the drawing also has an intrinsic value of its own. The immediacy of the chalk, the direct impression of the artist’s hand, gives the work a special presence. It is an intimate and powerful depiction of the human body and the artist's skill.