Seated Male Nude (recto); Sketches of Hand and Boy'd Head (verso)

Seated Male Nude (recto); Sketches of Hand and Boy'd Head (verso) is a fascinating drawing attributed to the immediate orbit of the Dutch master, the School of Rembrandt van Rijn (Dutch, 1606-1669), with scholarly considerations extending to Jacob Adriaenzoon de Backer, Matthäus Merian, the Younger, or the style of Govert Flinck. Executed roughly between 1626 and 1700, the work utilizes sophisticated drawing techniques characteristic of the finest preparatory studies produced in the Netherlands during the late Dutch Golden Age.

The artist created the dramatic visual effect on the recto using black chalk and touches of black crayon, masterfully heightened with white chalk to define musculature and volume. This technique, applied to blue laid paper, leverages the colored ground to establish mid-tones, making the highlights from the white chalk intensely effective and emphasizing the three-dimensional form of the seated figure. The primary subject is a rigorous life study, reflecting the intense focus on human anatomy and alla prima observation central to the teaching methods championed by Rijn and his contemporaries.

The ambiguous attribution of this drawing underscores the widespread influence of Rijn’s style on his students. The verso side, featuring disparate Sketches of Hand and Boy'd Head, serves as further evidence that the paper was used as a working document for capturing various poses and anatomical details. This drawing, classified as a critical example of 17th-century Northern European drawing practice, resides in the permanent collection of the Art Institute of Chicago. Its historical importance means the work is often included in the institution’s public domain offerings, allowing researchers worldwide access to high-quality digital prints for scholarly investigation.