Man with Upraised Arm, Possibly a Self-Portrait

• Attributed to Gustave Courbet (1819–1877)
• ca. 1840
• Black and white chalk over graphite on papier bleuté
• Robert Lehman Collection, 1975
• (1975.1.589)

Gustave Courbet, best known for his realistic depictions of the harsh life of rural laborers, produced some twenty self portraits in the 1840s–’50s. This drawing is considered to be among the earliest of them. Although it is not certain that the work is a self-portrait of Courbet, the man’s physique and voluminous hairstyle resemble the artist in his youth. The pose, emphasizing the muscles of the arm and torso, and the tense gaze directed at the fingertips reveal characteristics typical of Courbet.