Teach with Collections: Gian Lorenzo Bernini, Seated Male Nude

Bernini's graphic oeuvre, which largely consists of quick sketches for sculptural and architectural projects, includes a handful of finished red-chalk life studies of muscular male nudes, later known as academies. These may have been made as demonstration pieces in the context of the informal life-drawing classes that Bernini is said to have staged in his studio. Modest in scale yet powerfully three-dimensional in effect, this relatively early example displays Bernini's ability to convey theatrical monumentality on paper. Through his economical handling of red and white chalks, surface and contour are expressively transformed by flickering light and surrounding atmosphere.

Conversations prompts

Describe the pose of the figure. Which traits does Bernini seems particularly interested in capturing?

What are some of the specific effects of the medium of red chalk on paper? How do they complement the representation of the nude figure?