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Back of a Man with Pole

Walter Shirlaw

1874

graphite

paper

From the collection of National Gallery of Art

Impressionism Realism Late 19th Century

Dominant colour

Back of a Man with Pole is a 1874 graphite by Walter Shirlaw, a Impressionism work, held at National Gallery of Art.

Who painted this?: Walter Shirlaw
When & what style?: 1874 · Impressionism
Where can I see it?: National Gallery of Art

About this work

This quick sketch shows a person’s back, bent over a long pole. The lines are loose and rough, focusing on the shape of the shoulders and arms. The person’s hat sits low, and their posture looks tired or heavy. The drawing is all in pencil on paper, with no color. The artist didn’t smooth out the strokes—just quick, sketchy marks to capture the form. Next, check out Realism to see how artists used simple, honest scenes like this one.