Falling Male Nude [verso]

The drawing Falling Male Nude [verso] by John Singer Sargent, created between 1918 and 1919, is a powerful example of the artist's late-career draftsmanship. Executed in charcoal on laid paper, this dynamic work focuses intensely on the human form in rapid motion. Sargent utilized the dense, mutable quality of charcoal to depict a male figure captured mid-fall or mid-descent. The figure is rendered with confident, rapid lines, emphasizing anatomical structure and the dramatic effects of gravity on the musculature, reflecting the rigorous academic tradition that informed Sargent’s entire career.

Though often celebrated for grand society portraits and Impressionistic watercolors, Sargent dedicated significant time to independent figurative studies during the 1910s and 1920s. This piece dates from the end of the period 1901 to 1925, demonstrating the American artist’s ongoing commitment to figure drawing. Sargent frequently created such dynamic anatomical studies during his involvement with large-scale mural commissions or in connection with his teaching at life drawing classes. The expressive use of the charcoal medium allows the artist to manipulate light and shadow, heightening the sense of strain and immediacy inherent in the falling pose, a subject that rigorously challenges the artist to capture instantaneous movement with minimal detail.

Classified simply as a drawing, this sensitive study resides in the permanent collection of the National Gallery of Art. The careful preservation of the laid paper substrate ensures the longevity of Sargent’s expressive marks and the texture of the charcoal medium. The availability of high-resolution imagery allows scholars and enthusiasts worldwide to appreciate the nuances of this master draftsman’s private practice. As a highly significant work from the early twentieth century, the drawing's visibility is often enhanced by the accessibility of reproductions and prints that enter the public domain after copyright expiration, broadening the appreciation for Sargent’s skill beyond his formal commissions.