Figure Studies (recto and verso)

1790·Pen and brown ink (recto and verso) on cream laid paper·27.4 × 19 cm (10 13/16 × 7 1/2 in.)

<p>In this double-sided study, Fuseli cleverly traced the same figure on opposite sides of the sheet, as if thinking in three dimensions. His nudes are mostly inspired by ancient sources, as in the hanging satyr with his arms raised (based on a famous Hellenistic sculpture of the flayed Marsyas), but Fuseli activates them with his dynamic line.<br>Drawing the human figure dominated artistic training in Fuseli’s day. While sketching from a live model was part of conventional practice, copying ancient Roman sculpture was equally important. Fuseli’s exposure to an abundance of ancient sculpture during his years in Rome (1770–78) became a visual catalogue he drew upon throughout his life.</p>

Catalogue

Year: 1790
Medium: Pen and brown ink (recto and verso) on cream laid paper
Dimensions: 27.4 × 19 cm (10 13/16 × 7 1/2 in.)
Collection: Art Institute of Chicago
Artist: Henry Fuseli

Artist

Henry Fuseli

Painting

Henry Fuseli was a Swiss painter, draughtsman, and writer on art who spent much of his career in Britain.

Zurich, Switzerland

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