Unknown 19th Century French Academy Male Nude Drawing .... General to Specific!

 Today I was browsing eBay Italy when I stumbled across a 19th century academic drawing of a standing male nude which caught my immediate attention. The phrase that I had heard repeated over and over again in my drawing and painting classes “general to specific” echoed in my memory. The drawing itself turned out to be a drawing posted for sale by that dealer in Toulouse, France who expects top Euro for his offerings and which would stretch any budget. If I haven’t just spent my entire fun money for the month on a nice example of a 1972 Hasselblad Super Wide camera for my Hasselblad SWC camera collection I would have been tempted to buy the darn drawing at the outrageous asking price. Every so often when you are chasing 19th century academic drawings you find one which exemplifies that oft repeated phrase: “general to specific!” wherein you get a perfect snapshot of a 19th century Academy trained artist’s drawing technique. You can clearly see how the student has laid in the initial drawing and is in the process of going from laying in his general flat planes of light and dark within the line drawing and then going back in from the top down laying in refined specific lights and darks within the figure. The artist must have run out of time during what must have been a timed drawing session and fortunately for us he has given us a prime example of “general to specific” in his Academic training and drawing technique. Enjoy!

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Albert Leusch (1877-1954) Standing Male Nude in Heroic Pose

 This drawing came into my collection several months ago. It is a graphite drawing on paper by German artist Albert Leusch (1877-1954)  and features a very familiar pose if you carefully look at it and can make a connection with a famous bronze sculpture... give up? It’s Philippides the Marathon runner by Max Kruse (1854-1942) Enjoy.

ALESSANDRO MORANI (1859-1941) - Disegno di un Ragazzo nudo Seduto - Seated Nude boy

 I almost forgot to list this small drawing of a seated nude youth that I bought several weeks ago by the listed Italian artist Alessandro Moroni (1859-1941). Morani was an Italian painter, book illustrator, and set designer who was active during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Although a specialist in landscapes he did not let his talents go to waste and often submitted magazine and book illustrations. He taught art at the Industrial Art Museum of Rome from 1882 to 1902. His illustrations and interior designs were influenced by the English Artists William Morris and Charles Blanchard. He collaborated in the founding of the magazine “L’Italia dell’arte Industriale’” even designing covers and posters for the magazine. Enjoy.

Here are a few of his other works in private collections and museums....

Dessin académique nu masculin - 19e siècle - Academic Standing Male Nude - 19th Century Academy

 I have had my collecting eye on a beautifully executed example of the 19th Century Art Academy which has been listed on eBay France for a few weeks by an antiques dealer. For an unsigned 19th Century drawing it is listed at what to my buying collectors eye is a very expensive, unrealistic price tag. I can see demanding a premium for a signed original work by a listed artist but price gouging is still price gouging as far as I’m concerned. Perhaps I will make the Gallery a lowball offer and see where it gets me... probably standing here without the drawing... I can see paying several hundred Euro’s for a well executed drawing but his asking six to eight hundred Euro’s each is out of my ballpark.

Here are the additional listed drawings by the same Antiques dealer... all at ridiculous asking prices:

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Of  course a dealer elsewhere in France has near caliber drawings at more reasonable prices. 

Again: Idiots guide to collecting: Caveat emptor