Staand mannelijk naakt met een schild waarop het embleem van Felix Meritis Possibly 1789

Derk Anthony van de Wart’s “Staand mannelijk naakt met een schild waarop het embleem van Felix Meritis” (possibly dated 1789) is a charcoal drawing depicting a standing male nude. The figure is shown in a contrapposto pose, with his weight shifted onto one leg, creating a sense of balance and dynamism. He is holding a shield, likely depicting the emblem of Felix Meritis, a society in Amsterdam dedicated to arts and sciences, and his outstretched left hand points towards something outside the frame. This work demonstrates the artist’s skillful depiction of the human form, characteristic of Neoclassical art, and likely served as a study for a larger painting.