Mannelijk naakt, liggend, steunend op de linkerarm 1726

Louis Fabritius Dubourg created this nude male figure, sometime in the 18th century, using pen and brown ink on paper. It is a study, and a beautiful one. The artist has focused on the fall of light across the figure, and the build of his muscles. Now, the interesting thing about drawings like this is that they were essential to artistic training, a testing ground for the eye and hand. It's a way of truly understanding the human form, not just depicting it according to convention. Notice how the artist has used hatching, fine parallel lines, to create the tonal variations. You get a real sense of the artist’s labour, carefully building up the image, line by line. These drawings were a way for artists to learn their craft, a kind of apprenticeship. It is a reminder that what seems effortless in a finished painting is actually the result of intense, painstaking work. This piece shows how the tradition of craft and fine art are deeply entwined.