Study of a Woman Viewed from Behind

Study of a Woman Viewed from Behind is a key example of graphic art by Eugène Delacroix, executed in 1833. This print is an etching on chine collé, representing the second known state out of four. While Delacroix is chiefly known as a revolutionary master of Romantic painting, he maintained an active and serious interest in printmaking throughout his career, often utilizing the medium to explore compositional ideas, anatomical studies, and intimate subjects outside the demands of his large-scale canvas commissions. The work’s classification as a print confirms its role in documenting Delacroix’s mastery of line, distinguishing it from his expressive use of color in oil painting.

The subject focuses intently on the anatomical form of a female figure, depicted partially draped or in the process of undressing, observed from a close rear perspective. This detailed approach to female nudes was common among artists of the period, often serving as preparatory studies or simply académies designed to hone skills in figure drawing and modeling. Delacroix utilizes the etching needle to create rich tonal variations and precise contours, emphasizing musculature and form with a vigorous line characteristic of his style. The intimacy and concentrated focus of the subject matter offer insight into the foundational drawing practices that underpinned the artist's dramatic historical compositions.

The surviving impressions of this work are crucial for understanding Delacroix’s broader artistic methodology and his experimentation with various printmaking techniques. This specific impression of Study of a Woman Viewed from Behind is housed in the comprehensive collection of prints held by the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where it is studied alongside numerous drawings and other graphic works by the French master. Due to the age and classification of such influential nineteenth-century works, high-resolution reproductions of these early prints often enter the public domain, allowing for widespread academic study and appreciation of Delacroix’s draftsmanship.