Reclining Female Nude

Drawing from a live model, Bol used black chalk to render the woman's contours and white chalk to suggest the luminous sheen of her skin. The smooth application of chalk, in combination with the blue paper, creates a sfumato effect and convincing three-dimensionality typical of Bel's later drawing style. Bol focused his attention on the reclining nude, seen from behind, while more loosely sketching the cloth on which she lies and the pillow that supports her. This sheet served as a preparatory study for the right-hand figure in Bol's painting of Cimon and Efigenia (Kunsthalle Bremen, lost during World War II).