Seated nude holding a sword in her hand, 1722

About the Work

The French artist Bernard Picart, who was active primarily as a designer of book illustrations, had been living in Amsterdam since 1710. There he championed reforms in artists’ training after the example of the French academy. Drawing from the nude (male) model not only served the purpose of learning anatomical correctness and the expressive possibil- ities of the body, but was also the most challenging exercise in draughtsmanship. According to the dedication at the bottom of the sheet, the artist gave this work to a friend as a memento.