Academic Male Nude with Staff
The "académie," or drawing from a live model, served as the foundation of artistic instruction both in private studios such as Guérin’s and at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts. This rare example by Delacroix shows the young artist’s attempt to absorb the dominant manner of rendering the body taught at that time, through careful, subtle modeling. Before long, however, he abandoned the prevailing neoclassical theory that emphasized ideal beauty and contour, adopting a more expressive, individual approach.
Artwork Details
- Title: Academic Male Nude with Staff
- Artist: Eugène Delacroix (French, Charenton-Saint-Maurice 1798–1863 Paris)
- Date: 1816–20
- Medium: Charcoal heightened with white chalk
- Dimensions: Sheet: 24 1/8 × 17 15/16 in. (61.2 × 45.5 cm)
- Classification: Drawings
- Credit Line: Gift from the Karen B. Cohen Collection of Eugène Delacroix, in honor of Thomas Denzler, 2024
- Object Number: 2024.591.55
- Curatorial Department: Drawings and Prints
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