Do you draw nudes? (giggle giggle)

The   Willendorf Venus, thought to be the earliest example of working from the figure

Do you draw nudes?  (giggle giggle)

My typical response to this crazy question is to keep a totally straight face and say, “Yes, but I have to leave my shoes on.”

The reason that artists draw from life with a nude model is simply because we have to understand the anatomy of the human form before we can draw it clothed.  My focus in art school was life drawing, so I have much practice with this.  I live in a very conservative area of the United States, so the galleries where I teach I always have our models in shorts and a tank top. 

The first time I drew a nude model from life was my Sophomore year. We had no clue that this day would be a special and rather embarrassing day.  We had been drawing a rather complicated still life over the past several classes.  On this day however our professor told us that he had something special to add to the variety of flowers, vases, fake fruit and drapes of cloth.  In walked a woman wearing a robe.  She simply stood up on the podium and took off her robe.  The room was so silent that you could hear a piece of pastel drop. 

He started with quick gestural 2 minute poses, then we did a few longer ones followed by one pose for about an hour.  Drawing the figure from life is actually much like starting with a stick figure then adding the muscles on top of this structure. This is basic life drawing from a model. Once you learn this process of starting with something that looks like a stick figure, then you can go sit in the park or a coffee shop and draw strangers. 

I have read several accounts of the life drawing classes during the early impressionist years, around 1860 or so.  There were 3 podiums.  The artists would get there very early to get the best spot.  The late comers would argue about where to put their easels.  It must have been highly amusing for the model. 

The first known artists to paint or sculpt the unclothed figure is normally attributed to the Greek painters of the 5^th – 6^th centuries.  However, the first nude figure in art is often considered to be around 30-25,000 BC. This is the date of the tiny statuette, probably designed to be held in the hand, popularly called the Willendorf Venus and depicting a corpulent female. (https://nitramcharcoal.com/looking-at-the-history-of-life-drawing/)

So, the next time you wander into an art museum you will be able to wow your family with a little tidbit about the history of drawing the nude figure! If they giggle and blush, just remind them that it is respectable art and to get their minds out of the gutter.