Studie naar beeld van bacchant 1809 - 1869

This red chalk drawing, "Studie naar beeld van bacchant," by Alexander Cranendoncq depicts a nude male figure holding a thyrsus, a staff adorned with ivy and pine cones, a symbol of the god Dionysus. This study, created between 1809 and 1869, demonstrates Cranendoncq's skill in capturing the human form through meticulous linework and shading. The drawing's classical subject matter and anatomical precision speak to the artist's training in the Neoclassical style, a movement that emphasized order, balance, and reason in art. The drawing is currently housed at the Rijksmuseum, where it offers insight into the artistic process of this 19th-century artist.