Standing Nude Youth, with right arm raised
1859–60
Medium
Graphite (partially rubbed) on wove paper
Dimensions
Sheet: 14 3/16 x 9 1/4 in. (36 x 23.5cm)
Classification
Drawings
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of Alexander and Gregoire Tarnopol, 1974
Accession Number
1974.280
Tags
Art Historical Context
In the intimate world of Edgar Degas's early drawings, *Standing Nude Youth, with Right Arm Raised* (1859–60) captures the artist's meticulous study of the human form. Created when Degas was in his mid-twenties, just after his travels in Italy, this graphite sketch on wove paper depicts a poised male youth in a classical contrapposto pose, his right arm elegantly extended overhead. The sheet measures 14 3/16 x 9 1/4 inches, showcasing Degas's emerging mastery of line and volume during his academic training phase, influenced by masters like Ingres. Degas's use of graphite, partially rubbed to ...
About the Artist
Edgar Degas · 1834–1917
Edgar Degas (1834-1917) stands as one of the most innovative artists of the nineteenth century, whose distinctive vision transformed how modern life could be depicted on canvas. Born Hilaire-Germain-Edgar De Gas in Paris to a wealthy banking family—his father French, his mother a Louisiana Creole from New Orleans—Degas received a classical education before abandoning law studies in 1855 to pursue ...