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Paula CraioveanuAmphibian Man - male nudesepia ink drawing by Paula Craioveanu2016
2016
$500
£381.51
€434
CA$702.16
A$768.43
CHF 406.05
MX$9,171.74
NOK 5,181.69
SEK 4,739.08
DKK 3,241.76
About the Item
Male nude ink drawing, study for the "Amphibian Man" painting.
70x50cm / 27.5x19.5in
Shipped rolled in a tube from NY.
Part of "Nude Men" series.
"Amphibian Man" is a compelling drawing that captures the raw essence of the human form with a loose, expressive energy.
The piece isn’t just a male nude study — the sepia washes, the faceless head, the almost liquid brushstrokes take on symbolic weight.
The title suggests transformation, hybridity, or being caught between two worlds (land and water, human and non-human). The body is solid, muscular, but the head and extremities dissolve — as if the figure is in flux, emerging or submerging.
The sepia tones and watery brushstrokes resemble the flow of water or silt, evoking the sense of something submerged or rising from a murky depth. The unfinished parts of the body feel almost amphibian — not entirely formed, as though evolution or metamorphosis is incomplete.
Amphibian Man is a being who belongs to neither world fully. The faceless head reinforces this idea: identity is blurred, undefined.
It recalls mythological hybrids — Tritons, mermen, or even Ovid’s metamorphoses.
The 20th-century literary and cinematic figure Amphibian Man was a tragic hero — half-man, half-sea-creature, who struggled to live among humans. This drawing, with its poignant posture and blurred identity, resonates strongly with that theme of longing.
The rough, expressive treatment connects with German Expressionism and Egon Schiele, who often used distortion to convey psychological unrest. The sepia ink gives it an earthy, almost classical warmth, reminiscent of Renaissance figure studies where masters like Leonardo da Vinci or Michelangelo often used red or brown chalk. Combined with charcoal, it creates a push-pull between fluid washes and sharp structural lines. The ink brings atmosphere, while the charcoal anchors anatomy.
The body is rendered with exaggerated musculature, the lines emphasizing rhythm and weight rather than strict realism. There’s a sense of immediacy — it feels like it was done quickly, yet with confidence. The faceless head and unfinished extremities direct the focus inward, toward the torso, the "core" of human strength and vulnerability.
The washes of sepia spill out from the figure, almost dissolving into abstraction. This creates a tension between form and formlessness, suggesting movement, memory, or even the fleeting presence of the model.
This fits also in the tradition of academic figure drawing but pushed toward expressionism. It recalls Egon Schiele’s raw anatomical exaggerations, or Alberto Giacometti’s energetic figure sketches, while still paying homage to the Renaissance practice of studying the male nude as an idealized form.
- Creator:Paula Craioveanu (1976, Romanian)
- Creation Year:2016
- Dimensions:Height: 27.5 in (69.85 cm)Width: 19.5 in (49.53 cm)Depth: 0.2 in (5.08 mm)
- Medium:
- Movement Style:
- Period:
- Condition:
- Gallery Location:Forest Hills, NY
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU2240211873342
Paula Craioveanu
Trained in Bucharest and New York as architect and painter. Holds a degree in Architecture and a PhD in Visual Arts. Presently working as a full-time artist.
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