Sketch of a Standing Man
Classification
figures
Department
Smithsonian Collection
Museum
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Credit
Gift of Henrietta Haller
Accession Number
1904-16-35
About this artwork
Research in Progress
Art Historical Context
**Sketch of a Standing Man** by Robert Frederick Blum captures the artist's early talent at just 19 years old. Created in 1876, this drawing belongs to Blum's formative years as an emerging American artist (1857–1903), who would later gain renown for his genre scenes, portraits, and illustrations influenced by his travels to Europe and Japan. As a study of a standing male figure, it reflects the 19th-century tradition of preparatory sketches, essential for honing anatomical precision and capturing human posture—skills Blum refined while training at institutions like the School of the Museum of...