Nude Woman Resting on a Cushion, Rembrandt van Rijn, c. 1661 - c. 1662
reed pen and brown ink, with brown wash and opaque white (oxidized), some areas deliberately rubbed with a finger or wet brush
This drawing of a recumbent nude most closely resembles a rendering from classical mythology, for instance a slumbering nymph. But just look at how Rembrandt delineated the contours of the woman and the cushions with powerful strokes, and made the woman’s sagging skin tangible with soft shadows. This testifies to his keen power of observation and meticulous recording of reality.
