Study of a Male Nude (verso) (c. 1810): Art, History and Details

Study of a Male Nude (verso) (c. 1810) is in the Cleveland Museum of Art collection. The museum's creator attribution is Pierre-Paul Prud'hon (French, 1758–1823).

The work and its context

The museum's open-access catalogue describes the work:

This sheet is notable in its presentation of a woman, specifically one of Pierre-Paul Prud’hon’s favorite models, Marguerite—known for her curly hair and striking appearance. Following the artist’s death, more than 100 drawings were discovered in his studio, each portraying a closely studied nude figure like those shown here. The context of these works remains unclear: artists typically sketched from a model early in their training, but Prud’hon did so as a well-established painter. He saw drawing as a solitary practice, working consistently with white and black chalks on a paper described by one critic as “moonlit blue.”

Object facts

• Title: Study of a Male Nude (verso)
• Date: c. 1810
• Creator attribution: Pierre-Paul Prud'hon (French, 1758–1823)
• Culture: France, 19th century
• Type: Drawing
• Technique: black and white chalk (both stumped)
• Dimensions: Sheet: 61.9 x 43.6 cm (24 3/8 x 17 3/16 in.)
• Collection: DR - French
• Department: Drawings
• Accession number: 1961.318.b

A detail from the museum

Pierre-Paul Prud'hon was raised in the Cluny abbey by monks, who recognized and encouraged his artistic talent as a boy.

Collection credit

Purchase from the J. H. Wade Fund

View the collection record

See the museum's photographs and full catalogue entry. Catalogue text is reproduced from the Cleveland Museum of Art's open-access data, with HTML formatting removed. This object and its supplied image are designated CC0.