Studies of Male Legs and a Standing Nude
Pen studies on red-prepared paper, with an inset leg study
On a sheet washed with red preparation, the artist sets down muscular studies of the male nude lower body in pen and ink. At the center a leg and hip are seen from the front, at the right a second figure is studied from behind, and at the lower left an inset patch of lighter paper carries a further pen study of two legs and feet. Several lines of faint handwriting, not included among the transcriptions, appear in the upper-left area; a monogram collector's stamp sits at the lower right. No transcribed text accompanies the drawing, and the untranscribed writing has not been read here.
On this page
Central nude leg and hip, front view
The central study shows the hip, thigh, knee, and lower leg of a nude male seen from the front, the musculature drawn in taut pen contours with dense hatching. The forms swell and taper convincingly from thigh to ankle, ending in a foot planted on the ground. It is the most fully worked figure on the sheet.
Nude studied from behind
At the right a second nude lower body is drawn from the back, showing the buttock, the long muscles of the thigh, and the calf. The pen work again stresses the rippling surface anatomy of the leg. The figure stands slightly turned, complementing the front view beside it.
Inset study of legs and feet
A rectangular inset of lighter paper at the lower left carries an additional pen study of two legs converging to feet. The linework is finer and paler than the main studies. It appears to be a separate small sheet laid into the larger red-prepared support.