Standing Nude

• Aristide Maillol (1861–1944)
• ca. 1925
• Red crayon on cream laid paper
• Robert Lehman Collection, 1975
• (1975.1.664)

Best known for his bronze sculptures, Aristide Maillol also explored the female form in various media. Inspired by the red chalk favored during the Renaissance, he used red crayon for this drawing. The body’s light and shadow are rendered softly, with the torso drawn in greater detail, while the head, hands, and feet are simplified. The stable balance and flowing curves of the silhouette impart a timeless sense of feminine strength.