Twee studies van een liggende, naakte man 1627 - 1655

Eustache Lesueur created this red chalk drawing, “Two Studies of a Reclining Nude Man,” now held at the Rijksmuseum. The composition presents a challenge in how we perceive space and the human form. Lesueur uses the red chalk to define the contours and musculature of the male figure. The use of line is particularly striking; it’s not just descriptive but also expressive. Notice how the hatching and cross-hatching create areas of shadow and volume, giving the figures a sculptural quality. The structure suggests the artist’s exploration of academic figure drawing. The human form becomes a site for investigating proportion, anatomy, and the dynamics of pose. We can consider how the artist may be using these studies to engage with classical ideals of beauty and the challenges of representing the human body in art. The drawing invites us to appreciate the artist's technical skill and consider the interplay between artistic practice, anatomical study, and the cultural values attributed to the human form.