Reclining Male Figure

François Boucher

1736

Black, red, and white chalks, on blue paper

J. Paul Getty Museum

A man reclines on draped fabric, looking to the right. He is dressed in breeches and a loose shirt. A man reclines on draped fabric, looking to the right. He is dressed in breeches and a loose shirt. A young man lies outstretched with his legs crossed, reclining on a bunched piece of fabric and strumming a lute or another stringed instrument. With his back to the viewer and his face partially hidden, the man's twisted pose rather than his identity becomes the focus of the drawing. The gathers of fabric on which he leans, the wrinkled folds of his coat, and the outstretched length of his legs all create interest and draw the viewer's eyes around the figure and into the composition. François Boucher used a technique known as aux tro