Staand mannelijk naakt, van opzij gezien (3e prijs 1789) Possibly 1789

This is a sanguine drawing of a standing male nude, made by Daniël Vrijdag in 1789. Sanguine, from the French for ‘blood’, is a drawing technique using red chalk. You can see how Vrijdag built up the image using layers of fine, hatched lines. The artist’s material has an immediate impact: the figure seems flushed, full of life. This, and the artist's close attention to the body, give the drawing an emotional intensity. But Vrijdag also wants us to recognize his skill. Notice the way he uses the chalk to create a range of textures, from the smooth skin of the torso to the rougher texture of the hair. As a prize-winning piece, this work shows how drawing academies valued the careful study of anatomy, and the mastery of a classical technique. But by choosing sanguine – a material more often associated with preparatory sketches than finished works – Vrijdag also hints at the vital, messy, and bodily process of making art.