Male Nude

The work Male Nude was executed by Paul Cèzanne French, 1839–1906, between 1863 and 1866, classifying it as an early, crucial piece in his development. Although classified generally as a print, the medium demonstrates Cèzanne’s intense engagement with academic subject matter through detailed drawing techniques. The piece is primarily rendered in black chalk on what was originally mottled blue-gray laid paper, now altered to a light gray tone. The artist employed meticulous methods, using stumping to soften tonal transitions and careful erasing to suggest volume and highlight form against the dark ground.

Dating from the mid-1860s, this work reflects the young Cèzanne’s concentrated study of the figure, a necessary component of artistic training in 19th-century France. While Cèzanne is later renowned for his revolutionary approaches to still life and landscape, this figure study shows the artist grappling with traditional conventions before his pivotal move toward Post-Impressionism. The dramatic manipulation of light and shadow, achieved through the application of chalk and stumping, creates a distinct sense of sculptural weight that defines this early period. This powerful representation of the human form is housed in the permanent collection of the Art Institute of Chicago, offering scholars significant insight into the formative years of this essential modern master.