John Constable (British, 1776-1837) Study of a Male Nude

Description:

John Constable (British, 1776-1837)

Study of a Male Nude
Unsigned, identified in inscription on the mat.
Chalk on blue paper, 13 1/2 x 21 1/4 in. (34.3 x 54.0 cm),unframed, matted.
Condition: Toning, fox marks, losses, creases, tears to edges.
Provenance: Sotheby's Important British Drawings, Watercolours & Portrait Miniatures, November 25, 2004, lot no. 126.
Literature: Charles Rhyne, Constable Drawings and Watercolors in the Collections of Mr. and Mrs. Paul Mellon and the Yale Center for British Art: Part I. Authentic Works, Master Drawings, No. 2, Summer 1981, pp. 133, 135 in entry for his No. 25, pp. 142-43, notes 19, 20 and reproduced fig. 7; Graham Reynolds, The Early Paintings and Drawings of John Constable, 1996, p. 126, no. 08.49, pl. 729. N.B. John Constable was born in a small town in Suffolk, the son of a successful corn merchant and mill owner. In 1799 he began his studies at the Royal Academy where he frequently attended classes on life drawing and anatomical dissection. Constable often used a Suffolk native, Sam Stowger as a model.(i) According to Charles Rhyne, this drawing was completed c. 1803-1807, while Graham Reynolds dates the work to 1808.(ii)
I Sotheby's Important British Drawings, Watercolours & Portrait Miniatures, November 25, 2004, lot no. 126. II ibid
Estimate $8,000-12,000

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