A male nude

French artist Paul Cézanne painted this academic figure study during his early training, depicting a standing male nude in a classical pose. The work shows Cézanne grappling with traditional technique before developing his radical approach to form and color.

Academic training required artists to master the human figure through careful observation. This study demonstrates Cézanne's solid grounding in anatomy and modeling, skills he would later transform in his distinctive style. It hangs at the Fitzwilliam Museum at Cambridge University, offering insight into the formative years of a Post-Impressionist master.