Nude Profile

John Bernard Flannagan, artist

1895–1942

Nude Profile, circa 1936

Where object was made: United States

Material/technique: wove paper; crayon

Dimensions:
Image Dimensions Height/Width (Height x Width): 35.5 x 16.5 cm
Image Dimensions Height/Width (Height x Width): 14 x 6 1/2 in
Sheet/Paper Dimensions (Height x Width): 45.2 x 30.1 cm
Sheet/Paper Dimensions (Height x Width): 17 13/16 x 11 7/8 in
Mat Dimensions (Height x Width): 25 x 20 in

Credit line: Museum purchase: Letha Churchill Walker Memorial Art Fund

Accession number: 1972.0259

Not on display

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John Flannagan’s sculptures—such as the Spencer Museum’s Head, on view in the 20/21 Gallery—were marked by simple lines incised into stones gathered from the field. His drawings were similarly minimal in style. “I don’t feel the need for mere physical size (mis-called bigness),” he wrote. “Perhaps I’m too sure within myself to feel the need of shouting when I could whisper.” Drawings such as this one “whisper” the figure. The nude is rendered calligraphically rather than tonally, a few abbreviated strokes defining the figure’s contour. Flannagan’s technique was perfected in the 1930s, using simple means and materials; a soft black crayon, or an eyebrow pencil when he could afford nothing more. In contrast to Mae West’s flamboyance (see opposite wall), Flannagan’s draftsmanship exemplifies a familiar adage, less is more. CCE