Vintage French Sanguine Nude Figure Study

A figure study in sanguine, the red chalk French art students have been handed for centuries, presumably because it flatters everyone.

The model leans forward on the back of a chair, with long hair falling past her shoulders. She has the faintly bored expression of someone who has been asked to hold the pose for another twenty minutes. The shading is soft and confident, built up in places and left out in others, so the white of the paper does half the work. It's quick, assured, and unfussy, which is the whole appeal of a good studio sketch.

The sheet has a few soft wrinkles. That's what happens to drawings that spend time in portfolios rather than behind glass, and we think it suits the piece. It's beautiful as is, pinned to a wall or propped on a bookshelf, or you could give it a simple frame and a wide mat and watch it get serious.

Details

• Origin: France
• Medium: Sanguine (red chalk) on paper
• Dimensions: 16.5" × 11.75"
• Unframed
• Condition: Vintage, with a few soft wrinkles to the paper consistent with age and handling