Study of a Nude Woman, Seated Looking to the Right (recto)

A CLOSER LOOK

The museum identifies this drawing as black and white chalk (both stumped) and credits Pierre-Paul Prud'hon (French, 1758–1823).

The museum's collection notes: This sheet is notable in its presentation of a woman, specifically one of Pierre-Paul Prud’hon’s favorite models, Marguerite—known for her curly hair and striking appearance. Following the artist’s death, more than 100 drawings were discovered in his studio, each portraying a closely studied nude figure like those shown here. The context of these works remains unclear: artists typically sketched from a model early in their training, but Prud’hon did so as a well-established painter. He saw drawing as a solitary practice, working consistently with white and black chalks on a paper described by one critic as “moonlit blue.”