Study of a Nude Man

Abraham Bloemaert here used black chalk to carefully render a nude figure with notched ribs. The apparent strain in the figure’s sinewy muscles and the schematic rendering of support underneath his body suggest that the artist drew this figure from a live model. The rigid outline of the man’s body in addition to the short, hatched lines used for shading imply that Bloemaert could have conceived of this drawing for a pedagogical purpose. Bloemaert supervised dozens of pupils and is known to have organized life-drawing sessions with his contemporary Paulus Moreelse (1571–1638). Abraham’s son Frederick later published a book of prints based on his father’s drawings with the intention of providing additional sources for artistic training.