Staand mannelijk naakt met een stok boven het hoofd 1803

Jacob Smies created this chalk drawing of a standing male nude at an unknown date, now held at the Rijksmuseum. During the 18th and 19th centuries, the male nude held a central place in academic artistic training, embodying ideals of beauty, strength, and classical form. Smies' figure, caught in a moment of action with a club raised high, invites us to consider themes of power, masculinity, and perhaps vulnerability. The historical context of this work cannot be separated from the complex constructions of gender and sexuality that were prevalent at the time. How did social norms and expectations shape the artist's approach to representing the male form? In rendering this nude, Smies engages with and perhaps challenges traditional representations. Does the figure invite a sense of admiration, empathy, or perhaps even discomfort? What does it mean to encounter such a figure in today's world?