Here we have a vintage easel pad packed with nude figure studies that has finally seen the light of day. We have nudes and more nudes of varying and cool degree. A seated man in heavy charcoal, arms crossed and chin up, has printed a gray smudge onto the back of the sheet above him. Nobody drew that.
Let’s dive in. We have a man on all fours is drawn in wiry black ink. A woman rests an arm on a stool in loose gray wash. Faint pencil holds a standing man in briefs, with a small smiling face sketched at his side. Pick it up and the pad fills both forearms. You have already chosen the page you would frame.
This archive came out of an old Chicago estate. The backing board carries a large pencil inscription across the star logo that appears to read Paul Sitz. I have not confirmed who that is so we’re dealing with a mystery artist. None of the drawings I photographed is signed. The label identifies it as 506-R from Bienfang Paper Co. of Metuchen, New Jersey, with no ZIP code in the address. This archive likely originated in the 1950s from the label design. The stool and drapery suggest the figures were drawn from live models. I cannot say if one hand or several drew these pages.
The vintage nude sketch archive measures 24” tall by 18” wide by 1 inches. The pad is full of sheets range the spectrum of completed works, and my photos show twelve drawings. The drawings pictured are sharp and intact. Heavy foxing appears on the cover and a large pale blue-green discoloration spreads across the lower half. A small surface loss sits at the upper left edge. Flaking runs along the right edge and the corners are rubbed. Pencil scribbles and black smears mark the left side. The top binding strip looks slightly lifted at the right end. Inside, the pages are toned from cream to buff and the page edges are soiled at times. Charcoal smudging and transfer show on several sheets. Round ink blots mark at least two drawings. Most sheets show minor edge wear and small nicks. Please see all pics as they are part of the description.
I ship FedEx to street addresses in the continental USA only (no PO Boxes). Free shipping on the two-foot pad of nude strangers.
Every drawing here has someone holding still. Now you get to sit with them.
