Male Académie
1865
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art
1865
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art
A man stands with his back turned, muscles tense under his skin. The lines are loose, almost like a quick sketch, but the body feels alive. Chifflart drew this right onto a copper plate—no pencil first. The metal let him work fast, like jotting notes. That speed gives the figure a raw, unfinished energy, as if he might move any second. Look up *sfumato* to see how other artists softened edges this way.
