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Study of a Nude Woman, Seated Looking to the Right (recto) Study of a Male Nude (verso)

Pierre-Paul Prud'honc. 1810

The Cleveland Museum of Art

The Cleveland Museum of Art
Cleveland, United States

This sheet is notable in its presentation of a woman, specifically one of Pierre-Paul Prud’hon’s favorite models, Marguerite—known for her curly hair and striking appearance. Following the artist’s death, more than 100 drawings were discovered in his studio, each portraying a closely studied nude figure like those shown here. The context of these works remains unclear: artists typically sketched from a model early in their training, but Prud’hon did so as a well-established painter. He saw drawing as a solitary practice, working consistently with white and black chalks on a paper described by one critic as “moonlit blue.”

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  • Title: Study of a Nude Woman, Seated Looking to the Right (recto) Study of a Male Nude (verso)
  • Creator: Pierre-Paul Prud'hon (French, 1758–1823)
  • Date Created: c. 1810
  • Provenance: Studio of the artist, by descent to Charles Boulanger de Boisfremont, Charles Boulanger de Boisfremont [1773–1838], Paris, by descent to his son, M. de Boisfremont fils, M. de Boisfremont fils, (his sale, Hôtel Drouot, Paris, April 9, 1870, no. 49, sold to Dr. Malherbe), Dr. Malherbe, Walter S. M. Burns [1872–1929], London,, (his sale, Sotheby’s, London, May 6, 1926, no. 134), (Rosenberg & Stiebel, New York, sold to the Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH), Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH
  • Type: Drawing
  • Rights: CC0
  • External Link: https://clevelandart.org/art/1961.318
  • Medium: black and white chalk (both stumped)
  • Inscriptions: on recto, lower left, in red ink: stamp of Charles-Boulanger de Boisfremont [Lugt 353]; on verso, lower left, in black ink: stamp of Cleveland Museum of Art [Lugt 605e]; watermark, at bottom: unidentified, large chaplet. ON SEPERATELY APPLIED PIECES OF PAPER (now removed), printed in black ink: WALTER S. M. BURNS, ESQ. / To be Sold on giving up his Residence at 50, Grosvenor Street, W. / Sale - Sotheby [inscribed in black ink] / DAY OF SALE / Thursday, May 6th, 1926. ; printed in black ink: PIERRE PRUD'HON. / 134 Study of a Nude Woman seated looking to the Right / Black and white chalk on blue paper / 24 in. by 16 3/4 in. (610 mm. by 425 mm.) ; printed in black ink: 2.026
  • Fun Fact: Pierre-Paul Prud'hon was raised in the Cluny abbey by monks, who recognized and encouraged his artistic talent as a boy.
  • Department: Drawings
  • Culture: France, 19th century
  • Credit Line: Purchase from the J. H. Wade Fund
  • Collection: DR - French
  • Accession Number: 1961.318
The Cleveland Museum of Art

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