Posted on Wednesday, June 6, 2018
I find this drawing compelling for the following reasons. First, it is an excellent example of the goal of technical dexterity: to achieve complete ease with the task of modelling form. There is a consistency of application in this whole drawing..i.e. no one part looks more worked than another. The artist had his means of describing form down and could state nuance in the muscle and form across the whole figure.
To me, one of the most amazing parts of this drawing is the figure's right arm, which is extended to the viewer. The arm is foreshortened. Any kind of foreshortening is a challenge to an artist. It is a challenge to the overall design and composition, plus it is hard to execute and have the result look convincing and good. The foreshortened arm in this drawing is seamless and believable. It is as though the artists did not even worry about it...it was just another part of the drawing.