Academic Study of a Reclining Male Nude
c. 1750
Medium
Black chalk, with stumping and touches of red chalk, heightened with white chalk, on cream laid paper, laid down on cream laid paper
Dimensions
35.6 × 44.8 cm (14 1/16 × 17 11/16 in.)
Classification
chalk
Department
Prints and Drawings
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
196175
Rights
Public Domain
About this artwork
As an influential professor at the Royal Academy, Boucher taught life drawing. A savvy businessman, he realized the potential of producing etchings after his studies from life so that there might be instruction in provincial centers as well. This drawing—a dazzling demonstration of his technique of comingling red, black, and white chalks—was one of those reproduced.
About the Artist
François Boucher · 1703–1770
François Boucher (1703–1770) stands as the quintessential master of French Rococo painting and the most celebrated decorative artist of the 18th century. Born in Paris to a lace designer, Boucher created a visual language that perfectly embodied the refined taste, sensuality, and elegance of Louis XV's court. His prolific output—encompassing paintings, tapestry designs, theatrical sets, and decora...