18th-century French school - Male Academy

This 18th-century drawing depicts a male academy rendered in red chalk, illustrating an in-depth study of the male nude.
The model, reclining in a complex pose, demonstrates extensive research into the movement and tensions of the body. The artist displays an excellent mastery of human anatomy: the muscular masses are rendered with precision, the transitions between light and shadow are treated with subtlety, and the modeling of the body is achieved through a dense and nuanced network of hatching. The treatment of the torso, in particular, reveals careful observation of the live model and a quest for idealization inherited from ancient statuary.
Dimensions without frame: L:61cm W:46.5cm
Dimensions with frame: L:77cm W:65cm