Artwork
Seated Female Nude
Seated Female Nude is a charcoal drawing by Arthur B. Davies. It dates from 1922 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
About this work
Overview
Created circa 1922, Seated Female Nude is a drawing by American modernist Arthur B. Davies. Executed in charcoal and chalk on a cool‑gray laid paper that has been mounted to paperboard, the work records a single figure in a seated pose.
Subject & Meaning
The composition shows a woman seated sideways in a chair; her torso turns away while her head is turned back toward the viewer. The drawing emphasizes the interplay of line and softened edge, suggesting a quiet, introspective moment rather than a narrative scene.
Technique & Style
Davies employed a restrained linear approach, using charcoal for darker contours and chalk to model softer transitions. The gray ground provides a muted tonal base, allowing the figure’s forms to emerge with subtle gradations rather than bold contrast.
History & Provenance
The piece is identified as a study rather than a finished composition, reflecting the common practice of drawing nudes to explore anatomy, light, and gesture. It remains part of the artist’s drawing oeuvre, with comparable works held by the National Gallery of Art in Washington.
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Artist & collection
Artist
Arthur Bowen Davies (September 26, 1862 – October 24, 1928) was an avant-garde American artist and influential advocate of modern art in the United States c. 1910–1928.
