Standing Nude Male with Face in Profile
c. 1873–77
Medium
Graphite on ivory wove paper
Dimensions
25.4 × 17.8 cm (10 × 7 1/16 in.)
Classification
chalk
Department
Prints and Drawings
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
78952
Art Historical Context
Created around 1873–77, this graphite drawing by Sir Edward Burne-Jones captures a standing male nude in profile with quiet elegance. A leading figure of the Pre-Raphaelite movement and later the Aesthetic Movement, Burne-Jones frequently turned to the human figure as a vehicle for exploring ideals of beauty, symbolism, and classical harmony. Rendered on smooth ivory wove paper, the delicate graphite lines reveal his meticulous attention to contour and subtle modeling of form. Though modest in scale—measuring just 10 by 7 inches—the work reflects Burne-Jones’s lifelong practice of producing d...
About the Artist
Sir Edward Burne-Jones · 1833–1898
Edward Coley Burne-Jones was born on 28 August 1833 in Birmingham, the son of a frame-maker, and lost his mother within a week of his birth. He attended King Edward VI Grammar School and the Birmingham School of Art before proceeding to Exeter College, Oxford, in 1852, intending to study theology. At Oxford he formed a lifelong friendship with William Morris, and the two young men became intoxicat...