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Male Nude Study

Pierre Paul Prud'hon

1790

charcoal

From the collection of National Gallery of Art

Romanticism 18th Century Nude

Dominant colour

Male Nude Study is a 1790 charcoal by Pierre Paul Prud'hon, a Romanticism work, held at National Gallery of Art.

Who painted this?: Pierre Paul Prud'hon
When & what style?: 1790 · Romanticism
Where can I see it?: National Gallery of Art

About this work

This drawing shows a bare-chested man standing sideways, one arm raised high and the other bent at his side. His legs are apart, and his head tilts slightly upward. The background is a flat, greenish-blue color, and the lines are soft and smudged in places. The artist used white chalk to highlight parts of the figure against the dark paper, making the skin look almost glowing. The rough, sketchy style feels more like a quick study than a finished work. Next, check out the technique: scumbling to see how artists create texture with loose strokes.