Youth with Arms Upraised

Art Historical Context

In the Robert Lehman Collection at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Degas's *Youth with Arms Upraised (ca. 1859–60 or 1861–62) captures the artist's early mastery of the human form. Created when Degas was in his mid-20s, this drawing fine beige paper—executed in black chalk over pencil—depicts a dynamic male nude in a poised, upward-reaching gesture. Measuring just 12½ × 7⅝ inches, its intimate scale close contemplation, highlighting Degas's academic training under masters like Ingres, who emphasized precise linework and anatomical precision. This work reflects Degas's youthful fascination with classical antiquity and life drawing, a cornerstone of 19th-century French artistic education. Though he would later pioneer Impressionism with scenes of modern life like ballet dancers and horse races, here we see the foundational studies that honed his revolutionary approach to movement and light. The layered technique of pencil under chalk builds subtle tonal modeling, evoking volume and energy in the figure's stretched limbs—a pose reminiscent of ancient sculptures yet infused with Degas's emerging naturalism. As a rare early male nude, it underscores Degas's lifelong commitment to the undraped body as a vehicle for exploring form and emotion, bridging Renaissance traditions with modernist innovation. Visitors will appreciate its quiet power, a testament to the artist's enduring influence on drawing as a vital creative force.

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 ...