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Statue of a Male Nude before a Tree

John Flaxman

1790

graphite

From the collection of National Gallery of Art

Romanticism 18th Century Nude

Dominant colour

Statue of a Male Nude before a Tree is a 1790 graphite by John Flaxman, a Romanticism work, held at National Gallery of Art.

Who painted this?: John Flaxman
When & what style?: 1790 · Romanticism
Where can I see it?: National Gallery of Art

About this work

This sketch shows a muscular man standing still, naked except for a small leaf or two draped over his head. His arms are relaxed at his sides, and his feet are planted firmly on a round base. Behind him, a tree with twisting branches reaches upward, but the leaves are just faint lines. The drawing is all in gray ink, with quick, light strokes that make the figure look almost carved. The artist focused on the shape of the body and the tree’s curves, not details like skin or bark. Next, check out cross-hatching to see how artists build shadows with lines.