Standing female nude seen from the back 1628 - 1630

Willem Panneels made this drawing of a standing female nude in the 17th century, using traditional drawing materials: paper and charcoal or black chalk. Here, the material's influence is evident in the shades and textures that define the figure. The paper provides a warm, mid-toned ground, while the charcoal allows for both delicate lines and broad areas of shading. The artist coaxes a convincing sense of volume and depth from these simple materials, using hatching and cross-hatching to build up tone and create a sense of light and shadow. The process of drawing, itself, is key to the work's significance. It speaks to the academic tradition of studying the human form, and the importance of draftsmanship in artistic training. But it is also about labor; countless hours would have been spent mastering the techniques needed to produce such a study. In the end, it is the artist's skill and the inherent qualities of the materials that bring this figure to life, blurring the lines between craft and fine art.