Male Nude

Male Nude is an oil on canvas painting created by Edgar Degas in 1856. This early work is a crucial document of the artist's foundational training in academic drawing and traditional figure study, showcasing his allegiance to classical methods before his departure toward modern subjects. At the age of 22, Degas was immersing himself in the study of classical antiquity and the Renaissance masters, often working from live models. The meticulous rendering of the anatomical form and the emphasis on precise modeling reflect the rigorous curriculum of the French art academies of the mid-19th century.

This painting, centered on the demanding subject of the male nudes, documents Degas's technical development. Unlike the spontaneous, captured movements of his later dancers and racehorses, this canvas presents a static, powerful figure executed with pronounced attention to musculature and volume. While Degas would eventually become synonymous with Impressionism and the shifting perspectives of contemporary Parisian life, works like Male Nude firmly anchor him within the long-standing tradition of neoclassical figuration from which he emerged. The medium of oil on canvas demonstrates a commitment to formal, large-scale studio practice rather than quick preparatory sketches.

The work is classified as a foundational painting in the oeuvre of Degas and currently resides in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. Though often overshadowed by his more famous depictions of theatrical and domestic scenes, the skill demonstrated in this representation of the male figure confirms his early mastery of line. Because this canvas is now available through the public domain, high-quality digital files and archival prints of Male Nude are widely accessible, allowing a greater audience to study Degas’s formal approach to the human form.