Mannelijk naakt, liggend op de zij, naar links 1737

Curator: The piece we’re looking at is "Mannelijk naakt, liggend op de zij, naar links", created in 1737 by Louis Fabritius Dubourg. It's currently housed here at the Rijksmuseum. Editor: The sheer vulnerability of the figure strikes me first. The exhausted slump of the body, the almost desperate clench of the hands. There’s an immediate emotional weight. Curator: It’s interesting to consider how drawings like this, often done in charcoal, served a larger academic and social function. They were commonly exercises for artists honing their skills, often depicting the male nude within the very strict, surveilled environment of the academy. The social dimensions of this cannot be ignored. Editor: So, almost a rehearsal of the male form, within systems that are… inherently about control. How much does the history-painting aspect you mentioned influence our reading of the subject in relation to power structures? Is he heroic? Beaten down? Curator: Well, it’s Baroque, right? There's the drama in the shading, but the relaxed pose undermines any straightforwardly heroic reading. This image asks what is strength, and can a strong person allow for the vulnerable to emerge? The art establishment, particularly, valorized specific modes of representations as ideal. How does the artist work with, or challenge, this? Editor: Absolutely, especially concerning representations of marginalized bodies within similar establishments throughout history. Is the figure simply tired or something else is going on, something closer to being broken. Curator: Indeed, it encourages reflection on how societal institutions, even artistic ones, influence not just our view of the art, but also our readings of power, and expressions of humanity in our everyday interactions. Editor: Thanks, that’s given me plenty to think about – a much less passive pose than I initially perceived. Curator: My pleasure, art provides avenues to really deconstruct power, gender and beauty in culture.