Naakte jongen in het water, duwend 1878 - 1938

Richard Nicolaüs Roland Holst made this pencil drawing, titled *Naakte jongen in het water, duwend,* or *Naked boy in the water, pushing*, sometime between 1868 and 1938. Holst was a Dutch artist known for his symbolist and socialist leanings. The artwork, though a sketch, captures a youthful, nude male figure wading through water. His posture suggests effort and force as he engages in some unseen activity. The traditional nude form in art has often been used to portray ideal beauty or heroism. Holst departs from this, emphasizing instead the physical exertion and engagement of the figure. The rough pencil strokes lend a sense of immediacy, as if capturing a fleeting moment. The drawing could be interpreted through the lens of early 20th-century social movements, where depictions of the working class or everyday people became more prevalent in art. Holst’s art reflects a turn towards representing real life and experiences rather than idealized versions of reality.