Study of a Seated Young Man

Guercino, about 1619

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Artist: Guercino (Italian, 1591–1666)
Medium: Black chalk dipped in gum, white chalk heightening, on gray-brown paper
Size: 52.2 × 42.7 cm (20 9/16 × 16 13/16 in.)
Culture: Italian
Museum: J. Paul Getty Museum
Rights: CC0 — no rights reserved

In his youth, Guercino made many drawings from nude models, often using charcoal, the traditional medium for such studies. Artists usually made such drawings from the nude, known as académies , in an art academy or in an artist's studio. Guercino probably made large-scale drawings like this one as demonstration pieces to inspire the pupils in his own academy. He made other oiled-charcoal nude studies of this model around the same time.

For these studies, Guercino typically used rough, light-brown paper and charcoal soaked in oil, which made the line darker and more permanent. For luminosity, he added occasional touches of white chalk highlights. This combination enabled him to create luminous shadows or reflected light within deep shadow and to suggest the texture of flesh. His masterly technique simplified forms and distinctively modeled them with soft lines and broad shading to suggest the play of light.

Text: J. Paul Getty Trust, CC BY 4.0.