Artwork
Study of a Nude Man
Study of a Nude Man is an oil painting. It dates from 1815 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
The work’s provenance includes owners such as Nicolas Toussaint Charlet and François Marcille, and it is currently held by the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
The painting presents a solitary male nude rendered in oil on canvas, a format typical of early nineteenth‑century academic study. The figure stands in a relaxed pose that emphasizes anatomical precision and the subtle interplay of light on flesh, reflecting the academic interest in the idealized human form. As a study rather than a finished composition, it functions as an exploration of musculature and posture, echoing the classical tradition of the heroic male nude while remaining grounded in the pedagogical practice of life‑drawing.
The work’s provenance includes owners such as Nicolas Toussaint Charlet and François Marcille, and it is currently held by the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Technique & Style
Study of a Nude Man is an oil painting executed on canvas, created in 1815. The work is classified within the academic art genre and depicts a naked man as its main subject. Measuring 80.6 cm in height and 64.1 cm in width, the piece reflects the stylistic conventions of the period through its focus on the nude figure. The medium consists of oil paint applied to a canvas support.
History & Provenance
Created in 1815, this oil painting on canvas is attributed to a follower of Pierre Narcisse Guérin. The work's ownership history includes possession by Nicolas Toussaint Charlet, followed by François Marcille and Camille Marcille. It currently resides in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Study of a Nude Man is held by the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where it forms part of the museum's collection. The work entered the institution through a chain of ownership that included Nicolas Toussaint Charlet and the collectors François Marcille and Camille Marcille.
No specific inventory or accession number is recorded in the available sources, and no exhibition history is documented beyond its presence in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's holdings.
Context
The work, titled Study of a Nude Man, is an 1815 oil on canvas painting that belongs to the academic genre of the nude, reflecting the pedagogical figure studies of early nineteenth‑century French art. It is attributed to a follower of Pierre Narcisse Guérin and was part of the collection of Nicolas Toussaint Charlet, François Marcille, and Camille Marcille before entering the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where it is displayed. The composition measures 80.6 cm by 64.1 cm, underscoring its scale within the tradition of academic figure painting.
Overview
This oil painting, titled Study of a Nude Man, depicts a male figure in a dynamic pose. The artist rendered the subject with careful attention to anatomical detail and the interplay of light and shadow across the form. The work serves as an exploration of the human physique and the effects of illumination, characteristic of academic artistic practice.
Artist & collection
