Representing the nude figure in art has been a challenge undertaken by many artists in search of the ideal human form. Figure drawing has also been considered the best practice for becoming an accomplished draftsman, as it requires students to attempt to capture the nude’s anatomy, movement, lines, and shapes. These three examples illustrate the differing approaches artists may take to describe the essence of the female form. Lovis Corinth depicts his nude with delicate sketching, incorporating bold lines to define the contours of the figure, while Robert Henri uses a more painterly technique in his oil sketch. Charles Despiau takes a finished classical approach to describing his subject. Henri, an American painter, and Corinth, a German painter and printmaker, both studied under William-Adolphe Bouguereau (1825–1905) at the Académie Julian in Paris. (Bouguereau’s Study for the Main Figure of “The Oranges” is on view in the Jacobs Wing.)Despiau, a French sculptor, studied at the École des Arts Décoratifs and École nationale supérieure des Beaux-Arts in Paris.