Reclining Female Nude with Bent Legs, c. 1915

A reclining female nude, her legs bent, stretches horizontally across the image space. The depicted illustrates the motion of stretching in a convincing and expressive manner. Alongside his work as a sculptor, the Austrian artist Anton Hanak (1875–1934) created an eminent graphic oeuvre. Focusing primarily on the human figure, the graphic works, showing singular nudes, were executed as studies for his three-dimensional works. Anton Hanak drew the powerful contours of his figures with indelible pencil, the very tool he used for copying his designs for his architectural sculptures. Mixed with water, he molded the three-dimensional surface of the body by means of lighter and darker watery stains. This technique merges coincidence and intent, investing the bluish-purple female nude with a unique vividness.

AK, 2023