Standing Nude Female Figure
19th century
Medium
Graphite
Dimensions
13 3/16 x 8 in. (33.5 x 20.3 cm)
Classification
Drawings
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Purchase, Mrs. Carl L. Selden Gift, in memory of Carl L. Selden, 1983
Accession Number
1983.310
Rights
Public Domain
Tags
Art Historical Context
Henri Lehmann’s *Standing Nude Female Figure* exemplifies the enduring role of drawing in nineteenth-century artistic practice. Executed in graphite on paper, the work captures the human form with precise, economical lines that reveal both anatomical structure and subtle tonal modeling. At roughly thirteen by eight inches, the sheet’s modest scale suggests it may have served as a private study or preparatory sketch, allowing the artist to explore contour, proportion, and the play of light across the body. Graphite drawings like this one were central to academic training and studio production during the period, prized for their immediacy and capacity for fine detail. Lehmann’s sensitive handling of the medium transforms a simple nude study into an object of quiet contemplation, highlighting the timeless appeal of the female figure as a vehicle for artistic inquiry. Acquired by the Metropolitan Museum of Art in 1983 through the generosity of Mrs. Carl L. Selden, the drawing now offers visitors an intimate glimpse into the working methods of a nineteenth-century draftsman.
About the Artist
Henri Lehmann · 1814–1882
French, Kiel 1814–1882 Paris