Henry Arthur Roberts after Drölling, Pre-Second Republic French Academy Life Study of Standing Male Nude, 1800s, Charcoal & Pencil on Paper

Henry Arthur Roberts.
French ( b.1819 - d.1900 ).
Academic Life Study Of A Standing Male Nude.
Pencil & Charcoal On Paper.
Paper size 23.8 inches x 13.6 inches ( 60.5cm x 34.5cm ).
Frame size 28.3 inches x 18.7 inches ( 72cm x 47.5cm ).

This academic life drawing of a male nude is by the French artist Henry Arthur Roberts and dates from the early 1840s.
The drawing is presented and supplied in a modest hand painted glazed wooden frame dating from the mid-20th century (which is shown in these photographs).
This antique drawing is in good condition, commensurate with its age. It is in an untouched condition having never been restored. The paper has handling marks, some light surface dirt, the odd foxing mark and general age toning. The overall patina adds to the aesthetic and is supplied ready to hang and display.
The drawing is not signed but came from a portfolio of drawings by Henry Arthur Roberts.

Henry Arthur Roberts was a recognised French artist, notable for his portraits and paintings of religious subjects. Born in Paris in 1819, he was the son of British watercolour artist James Roberts, himself active in Paris from 1819 -1846. Henry became a student of his father.

Henry Roberts’s talent as a young man was such that he was accepted as a student of Michel Martin Drölling and worked extensively with him. Drölling, the highly acclaimed neoclassic artist (1786-1851) was noted for his theatrical paintings of history and grand portraits. He produced many notable works, including a ceiling work for the Louvre, and works in the Palace of Versailles. Roberts would have studied with Drölling at an early stage in his career, as Drölling died when Roberts was 32. Learning with such a master would have had a huge impact on Roberts in terms of his academic skills and his own emerging style.

Roberts exhibited at the Salon de Paris from 1839, when he was only 20 years old, right through to 1867. His work in the Universal Exhibition of 1855 won him a Third Class Medal. He became Vice-President of the Association of Artists in Paris and in July 1898 he was elevated to the rank of Knight of the Legion of Honour with a foreign title. This was the highest state honour available to him, in recognition of his status as an artist.

Henry Roberts died in 1900, but his legacy lives on, with works in many famous public collections, including the Musée Carnavalet, the Musée du Louvre, the Musée d’Orsay, Musée des Beaux-Arts, Orsay, and in Boston, USA.

This exceptional academic nude study is an original pencil and charcoal drawing on paper by the renowned French artist Henry Roberts. It was created in the early 1840s, no doubt as part of his training with Drölling.
The artwork depicts a standing male figure, turned slightly to the side with his arms folded, showcasing the artist’s mastery of anatomy, shading, and proportion.
Executed in the École des Beaux-Arts tradition, this drawing highlights the rigorous academic approach to figure study that defined 19th-century French art education. The meticulous rendering of musculature and posture suggests it was likely an exercise in life drawing and classical realism.
Housed in a modest painted wooden frame, the piece retains its historical character, with signs of aging that enhance its authenticity. This work is a valuable acquisition for collectors of 19th-century academic art, French figure studies, and historical nude drawings.
For art historians, collectors, and enthusiasts of classical figurative art, this Henry Roberts charcoal study offers a rare glimpse into the artistic training and techniques of 19th-century France, making it an essential addition to any collection of historical academic drawings.