Seated Male Nude
1917/21
Medium
Charcoal with stumping on cream laid paper
Dimensions
47.3 × 62.5 cm (18 5/8 × 24 5/8 in.)
Classification
charcoal
Department
Prints and Drawings
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
80891
Art Historical Context
John Singer Sargent’s “Seated Male Nude,” created between 1917 and 1921, showcases the artist’s lifelong fascination with the human figure. Although best known for his luminous oil portraits, Sargent produced hundreds of charcoal drawings in his later years, often exploring anatomy and form with quiet intensity. Here, the soft modeling of the seated figure reveals his command of light and volume on cream laid paper. The medium of charcoal with stumping—rubbing the pigment to create smooth tonal transitions—allowed Sargent to achieve painterly effects without color. The drawing’s generous scal...
About the Artist
John Singer Sargent · 1856–1925
John Singer Sargent, born on January 12, 1856, in Florence to American expatriate parents FitzWilliam Sargent, an eye surgeon and medical illustrator, and Mary Newbold Singer, an amateur artist, enjoyed a nomadic childhood across Europe. His mother nurtured his artistic inclinations with sketchbooks and museum visits, while he received early watercolor lessons from German landscape painter Carl We...