Study for the Wellington Shield: A Standing Nude Male Figure 

Editor: This is Thomas Stothard’s, Study for the Wellington Shield: A Standing Nude Male Figure, housed at the Tate. It's a detailed, small-scale drawing, almost sepia toned. I’m struck by the man’s pose. What can you tell me about this figure, and what do you see in this study? Curator: It’s all about the dance between the ideal and the real, isn't it? Stothard’s wrestling with classical ideals, striving for that perfect form, but there’s also an undeniable earthiness to the figure. Do you sense the tension in that contrast? It’s less marble god, more bloke from down the pub, striking a pose, maybe after a pint or two. Editor: I see what you mean about the bloke at the pub! Thanks, I hadn’t considered it like that. Curator: It’s in the unexpected places we often find the truth, isn't it? Art, pints, and all.