Artwork
Nude Man Standing, with Left Hand Raised
Nude Man Standing, with Left Hand Raised is a drawing by the Impressionist artist Edgar Degas. It dates from 1900 and is held in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art.
- Accession no.
- 1941.316
- Credit line
- Gift of Ralph M. Coe, twenty-fifth anniversary gift
About this work
Overview
Nude Man Standing, with Left Hand Raised is a charcoal drawing by Edgar Degas, created around 1900. It is a sketch of a male figure and is held at The Cleveland Museum of Art.
Subject & Meaning
The drawing depicts a standing male nude, captured in a dynamic pose with one arm raised and the other resting on his hip. The figure's facial features are not defined, emphasizing the focus on bodily movement and posture.
Technique & Style
Executed in loose, rapid charcoal strokes on light tan paper, the drawing conveys a sense of movement and energy. The uneven, dark lines create a rough yet lifelike effect, characteristic of a quick study rather than a finished work.
Context
This drawing exemplifies Degas's practice of creating sketches to explore form and movement, a common technique among artists for experimenting with composition and figure study before producing a final piece.
Artist & collection
Artist
Born Hilaire-Germain-Edgar De Gas on 19 July 1834 in Paris, Edgar Degas came from an affluent banking family with aristocratic roots and spent his childhood among the cultivated circles of the French capital.
