Stehende Frau als Aktfigur, aus _Ritter Hartmut von Kronberg bei dem Reformator Oecolampadius in Basel_ c. 1866 - 1867

Victor Müller created this pencil drawing of a standing female nude, as a study for his painting about the Reformation. The artwork has a raw immediacy. The artist sketches swiftly with graphite on paper, a readily available and relatively inexpensive material. The varying line weights suggest different applications of pressure and the hand of the artist moving across the page. Müller clearly prioritizes the capture of form and gesture over detail. The drawing offers insight into the artist's process, revealing how he developed his composition and technique in preparation for a larger painting. Its value lies not only in its aesthetic qualities but also in its demonstration of the labor and skill involved in creating a work of art. By focusing on materials, making, and context, we can appreciate the drawing's artistic merit and its place in the history of art.