Art Embodied: anatomical drawing 4

charcoal, 16.5" x 23.5"

This anatomical drawing is inspired by Neoclassicism and the way in which artists such as David and Ingres revisited works from classical antiquity to find inspiration in form and content. Following Ingres' advice to 'copy the old masters', I created this piece on a gorgeous day in the Luxembourg Gardens. The garden is full of sculptures, but this sculpture's balanced pose, emphasized muscles and stoic expression stood out to me as evocative of Neoclassical principles. I also like the way in which the figure was on a pedestal, and included that element in the piece. The presence of the pedestal is meant to represent the way in which the Neoclassical artists idealized the human form and sought to represent it in all it's idealized glory. I selected charcoal as the medium because it is well-suited to drawing in situ. I also thought charcoal was well-adapted to model the smooth light and careful contours of Neoclassical art.