Artwork

Seated Male Nude with Arm over Head, Seen from the Side

Seated Male Nude with Arm over Head, Seen from the Side, by Hubert Robert, chalk, 1760
Seated Male Nude with Arm over Head, Seen from the Side, by Hubert Robert, chalk, 1760

Seated Male Nude with Arm over Head, Seen from the Side is a chalk drawing by the Romanticist artist Hubert Robert. It dates from 1760 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.

About this work

The painting is called Seated Male Nude with Arm over Head, Seen from the Side.
It's an old drawing, made with black chalk on paper.
The artist, Robert Hubert, likely made it between 1754 and 1765, which is interesting because this was a time when artists were starting to experiment with new styles.
You can learn more about this style by looking into the movement: Romanticism.

Overview

Seated Male Nude with Arm over Head, Seen from the Side is a drawing created by Hubert Robert around the mid-18th century using black chalk on laid paper.

Subject & Meaning

The drawing depicts a nude male figure in a contemplative pose, with careful attention paid to the rendering of human anatomy, reflecting the academic study of the human form prevalent during this period.

Technique & Style

Executed in black chalk, the work showcases Robert's skill in capturing the subtleties of the human form, a technique that aligns with the artistic practices of his time, which would later be associated with the emerging Romanticism movement.

History & Provenance

Dating to between 1754 and 1765, the drawing was created during a period of artistic transition, as artists began to explore new styles and approaches to representation.

Artist & collection

Portrait of Hubert Robert

Artist

Hubert Robert

Hubert Robert (French pronunciation: ; 22 May 1733 – 15 April 1808) was a French painter in the school of Romanticism, noted especially for his landscape paintings and capricci, or semi-fictitious picturesque depictions of ruins in Italy…

This work is in the public domain (CC0). Image source: National Gallery of Art open access. Spotted an error in this record? Tell us.