Seated Female Nude 1680 - 1757

This red chalk drawing, "Seated Female Nude," by Dutch artist Mattheus Terwesten, is a study in the human form. The nude female figure sits contorted with her weight balanced on her right leg and her left leg extended. The artist’s meticulous attention to detail is evident in the depiction of the figure’s musculature and the soft, flowing drapery of the garment she wears. The piece is characteristic of Terwesten’s artistic style, known for its realism and emphasis on naturalism, which was typical of the Dutch Golden Age of art. This drawing, now part of the Rijksmuseum’s collection, was likely created between 1680 and 1757.