Nude Male Figure with a Sword
Medium
Black chalk
Dimensions
19 7/16 x 12 11/16 in. (49.3 x 32.3cm)
Classification
Drawings
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Purchase, Karen B. Cohen Gift, 1988
Accession Number
1988.255
Tags
Art Historical Context
In the late 19th century, academic artist Alexandre Cabanel was a leading figure in the Parisian art world, renowned for polished, idealized depictions of the human form that echoed classical antiquity. His *Nude Male Figure with Sword* (1878), a masterful black chalk drawing, exemplifies his skill in preparatory studies for larger paintings or sculptures. Created during the height of the Salon tradition, this work likely served as an anatomical exercise, capturing the heroic musculature and poised dynamism of a male nude wielding a sword—a motif evoking ancient warriors or mythological heroes...