Reclining Nude with Hands Tied Behind his Back

Although he was largely self-taught and never entered the famous academy of the Carracci family, Guercino followed their methods, and by 1616 he was running his own school, the Accademia del Nudo. There, he encouraged students to attempt drawings like this large-scale study of a muscular model arranged in a complex foreshortened pose, made on rough paper with chalk dipped in oil or a gum solution. The intense black tones of these media probably appealed to the artist because they make a bold impression that matches the forthright observation underpinning the study. Although drawn for study rather than as a preparatory sketch, the nude can be compared to many figures in Guercino's early paintings.