Study from the Nude of a Girl Standing

Art Historical Context

Théodore Roussel *Study from the Nude a Girl Standing* (c. 1890) captures the graceful form of a young female figure in a intimate, preparatory sketch rendered in drypoint—a meticulous intaglio printmaking technique. Using a sharp steel needle, Roussel scratched directly into the plate, raising a soft burr that yields rich, velvety lines when inked in vibrant red and printed on laid paper. This small plate (12 × 8.1 cm) exemplifies the artist's mastery of subtle tonal gradations, evoking a sense of quiet elegance and natural poise. Active in late 19th-century London, Roussel, a French expatri...