Sitting male nude 1933

Hermann Lismann made this pencil drawing, 'Sitting male nude', around 1930 in Germany. The cultural milieu of the Weimar Republic, with its complex negotiations of masculinity and sexuality, profoundly influenced artists like Lismann. Nude studies, particularly of the male form, have a long and complex history in Western art. They are often associated with ideals of beauty and strength, yet also with vulnerability and objectification. Lismann’s depiction invites contemplation on how these themes intersect in the early 20th century. Note the sitter’s contemplative posture. He sits with his head resting on his hand. This lends the work a psychological depth. What is he thinking about? What is his story? The gaze of the viewer is turned back on themselves, to think about the body.