The Passion of Collecting Academic Nudes

Join me as we explore my collection of Academic Nudes from the 18th, 19th, and Early 20th Centuries and serendipitous finds in the Museum, Art Auction, and Gallery world......examples from the Golden Age of the European Academie


Saturday, January 3, 2015

Unknown Artist: Superb 19th Century Academic Study - Male Nude Holding a Book

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This superb example of 19th Century Academic painting popped up on eBay France this morning. It just takes my breath away at the craftsmanship and superb color management, not to mention the brush work. Too bad it is not signed. Enjoy!
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Otto Greiner (German, 1869-1916): Study of a Nude Boy

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Back just before Christmas a seller in Germany listed a pencil study by the German artist Otto Greiner (1869-1916) at what I considered to be a ridiculously "Buy-it-Now" low price. Needless to say that drawing disappeared into someone's collection in record time. Enjoy.
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HENRI GIES or GUIS ( 1881 - 1950 ): Academic Nude Studies of Male Youths

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I managed to add three additional drawings of academic nude studies from the Paris Academie Julian just before Christmas. They were listed at such ridiculously low prices that I could not resist adding them to my collection. Unfortunately, biographical information on the artist is sparse. That first drawing in red crayon is dated "December 1899...cours Lefebre - 3 heurs." Enjoy.
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Robert Jakob Bock 1896 - 1943: Various Drawings and Prints from the Artist's Estate

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A Berlin Gallery has listed various works, mainly drawings and prints, from the estate of Robert Jakob Bock (1896-1943). The seller lists the following biographical information regarding the artist:

" The artist was born in 1896 in Darmstadt and died in 1943 in Pirmasens.  He studied from 1916 on under Peter von Halm at the Munich academy.  Later he attended the master class of Franz von Stuck.  He crated several graphics for the publisher Hanfstaengl and his works can be found e.g. in the graphic collection of the museum Neue Pinakothek in Munich.  His main focus was drawings and graphics of nudes.  There he shows his masterly quality.  He participated in expositions of the artists association "jury-free" in Munich.  In 1943 his workshop in Munich was bombed and most of his works got destroyed.  Only few days later Bock died.  Through his early death and the destruction of most of his works, Bock nearly got forgotten and never received the appropriate recognition he would have deserved." Enjoy.
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