Study of a man

Provenance: Rome, private collection

Born in Warsaw and educated at the Imperial Academy of Arts in St. Petersburg (1876–1881), Stefan-Alexander Bakalowicz (1857–1947) became one of the outstanding representatives of Russian Academic art. He gained particular renown for his meticulously finished compositions depicting scenes from classical Rome and Ancient Egypt; however, it was his extensive travels throughout the Middle East and North Africa that exerted a significant influence on his graphic work. This drawing dates from the period of the artist’s journeys to Algeria, Egypt, and Nubia in the 1880s– early 1900s. In contrast to his finished historical paintings, the studies done on his travels reveal a more immediate, observational approach, in which academic discipline is combined with ethnographic sensitivity.

The figure is constructed through finely modulated tonal gradations and expressive hatching that varies in density and direction, creating a strong sense of physical presence and muscular tension. The additional study of a head in the upper right corner, rendered in a softer and more generalized manner, demonstrates the artist’s confident command of different levels of finish. Works of this kind offer a rare opportunity to gain insight into Bakalowicz’s creative process and his interest in contemporary figures encountered during his travels.

Irina Bogoslovskaya