The Drawing Class

Max Weber

ca. 1905 · Charcoal on paper, mounted on canvas · Modern and Contemporary Art

In September 1905 the 24-year-old Weber set sail from New York for Paris, and did not return home again for three years. Immediately upon arriving in Paris he enrolled at the Académie Julian where traditional methods of drawing from live models and plaster casts were taught. First-time students were allowed to draw only individual parts of the body, but rebelling against this discipline, Weber dared to draw the full figure. Instead of being admonished, he was rewarded with the stamp of his atelier, a coveted sign of approval. Just such a stamp appears in the lower right of this charcoal drawing of a bearded model standing on a platform in a studio art class.

Artist

Max Weber

Date

ca. 1905

Medium

Charcoal on paper, mounted on canvas

Department

Modern and Contemporary Art

Credit line

Purchase, Marian François-Poncet Gift, 1995