Reclining Female Nude (recto); Various Sketches of Figures and Plants (verso)

1850

From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art

Dominant colour

Reclining Female Nude (recto); Various Sketches of Figures and Plants (verso) is a 1850 by Unknown, a Romanticism work, held at Cleveland Museum of Art.

Who painted this?: Unknown
When & what style?: 1850 · Romanticism
Where can I see it?: Cleveland Museum of Art

About this work

This sketch shows a woman lying on her side, her body relaxed but strong. Her arm stretches out behind her, and her head rests on her hand. The lines are loose, almost like quick notes—just enough to show the shape and weight of her body. The back of the paper is covered in smaller, hurried drawings of people and plants, some barely more than scribbles. It looks like the artist was testing ideas, not worrying about perfection. If you like sketches like this, check out The Cleveland Museum of Art for more.