Youth in an Attitude of Defense

Youth in an Attitude of Defense is an arresting early work by Edgar Degas, executed between 1859 and 1860. This powerful drawing utilizes pencil on buff laid paper, showcasing the artist’s precise draftsmanship during the period when he was deeply invested in academic training and the study of Old Masters. The subject is a dynamic study of the human form, depicting a male nude posed in a classic contrapposto, slightly twisted as if recoiling or anticipating a sudden action. The defensive posture, clearly implied by the raised arm and tensed musculature, highlights the rigorous training Degas underwent, which emphasized anatomical correctness and the capture of figures in motion.

During this foundational period of his career, Degas focused intensively on capturing the subtleties of human anatomy and natural movement, a skill evident in the delicate modeling achieved using the pencil medium. The swift, yet controlled, line work captures both the impending action and the underlying vulnerability of the figure. While Degas is now primarily known for his later work focusing on ballet dancers and modern Parisian life, early drawings depicting male nudes like this piece provide crucial evidence of his strong command of traditional drawing techniques before his formal classification shifted toward Impressionism. This historically important drawing is housed within the extensive collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Because works of this age are sometimes available in the public domain, high-quality archival prints are often reproduced for educational study, allowing wider access to the foundational skills of Degas.