Antiques, Decorative and Fine Arts Auction
Antiques, Decorative and Fine Arts Auction
Lot 202: Carle Van Loo (1705-1765) Circle of, 18th C French Academic Nude Study in Sanguine
2026-04-25T15:00:00Z
Start price: CAD $100
Lot 202:
Carle Van Loo (1705-1765) Circle of, 18th C French Academic Nude Study in Sanguine
Description
Circle of Carle Van Loo (1705-1765)
Study of a Male Nude
Sanguine on laid paper
France, mid-18th century
Description
A finely modelled academic study of a standing male nude executed in sanguine on laid paper. The figure is rendered in contrapposto, with the weight distributed through the extended leg and the torso subtly twisted, emphasizing anatomical articulation through disciplined contour and graduated tonal modelling.
The handling demonstrates confident construction: musculature is developed through layered hatching and tonal shading, particularly in the thighs, abdominal structure, and shoulder mass. The surrounding field is activated with broad, atmospheric strokes, creating a vignette effect that isolates the form while reinforcing volumetric presence.
The sheet reflects the pedagogical structure of 18th-century French academic training, in which the disciplined study of the nude from life formed the core of atelier instruction. The absence of overworking and the clarity of massing suggest a trained hand operating within a mature academic framework rather than a novice student exercise.
Executed on period laid paper consistent with French mid-18th-century production.
Details
Origin: France
Date: Mid-18th century
Attribution: Circle of Carle Van Loo (1705-1765)
Medium: Sanguine on laid paper
Dimensions: 49 × 30 cm (sheet)
Condition: Age toning, scattered foxing, edge wear and small losses consistent with period handling; no visible signature or inscription.
Catalogue Note
Carle Van Loo, a central figure of the French Royal Academy and Premier Peintre du Roi under Louis XV, was instrumental in codifying the academic discipline of figure study in mid-18th-century France. His atelier and immediate circle produced numerous studies of individual anatomical forms and full-length academic nudes as part of structured life-room training.
The present sheet, while unsigned, shares formal characteristics with the academic tradition cultivated within the Van Loo studio environment:and comees from the same private collection as Lot 203 (Study of a Foot, attributed to Carle Van Loo), reinforcing the coherence of the group and suggesting a shared studio or pedagogical context.
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