Nude Old Man Seated, Leaning on His Forearm, Facing Left c. 1640

Editor: This is Jacob Jordaens’ "Nude Old Man Seated, Leaning on His Forearm, Facing Left," a chalk and charcoal drawing from around 1640. The man's pose seems very deliberate, even uncomfortable. What can you tell me about the piece? Curator: Well, the materials themselves – chalk and charcoal on paper – are significant. Consider the ready availability and relatively low cost of these media in the 17th century. Jordaens wasn't using precious oils on canvas, but rather utilizing the everyday tools of a draughtsman. This brings into question the social status of the model, an aging man, depicted nude with unforgiving honesty. Editor: So you are focusing on the materials to draw broader inferences? Curator: Precisely! The use of readily available materials speaks to the artist's relationship to craft and labor. How does this piece fit within the broader context of workshop practices at the time? Was it a study for something grander? Or is it meant to simply stand alone as a rendering from the studio, using affordable, functional materials? It would be very interesting to explore whether it's production was intended for a specific patronage that influenced Jordaens. Editor: That makes me wonder about the art market during that period and where drawings such as these circulated, given that it was not really considered to be ‘high art.’ Curator: Excellent point. Thinking about where this drawing might have been consumed, who it was made for, changes the stakes a bit. Are we looking at a commercial object, produced to be sold, or a piece with some other purpose? What do you make of that? Editor: I hadn't thought about it that way, about art not just as self-expression, but also a commodity affected by accessible resources, labour and its broader social context! Thanks! Curator: Exactly! Material analysis offers compelling insight, doesn't it?