Staande man met uitgestrekte rechterarm 1706

Sébastien Leclerc I made this drawing, "Standing Man with Extended Right Arm," using pen and ink in the late 17th or early 18th century. The figure's classical garb and confident pose suggest a Roman senator or military leader. During this period, France, under Louis XIV, looked to ancient Rome for models of imperial power and cultural authority. Artists like Leclerc, trained in the Royal Academy of Painting and Sculpture, were encouraged to emulate classical styles and subjects. Drawings like this served as studies for larger compositions, or models for students learning to draw the human figure. Leclerc was a prolific printmaker and designer, so it’s likely that this study would have been used as a pattern or example. Understanding the artistic conventions and institutional structures of Leclerc's time helps us to appreciate the drawing not just as a study of the male form, but as a window into the political and cultural aspirations of the French court. Examining prints, archival documents, and Academy records can further illuminate the social context of this work.