Visual Analysis of the Artwork, “Male Torso”

The piece of work titled “Male Torso” was created by Mary Frank. The artwork is created
in different versions with a slight difference in each of them. This specific one is a sculpture
relating to America and modernism. Painted in 1905, the artwork measures 59 x 46 x 26cm and
it is a replica of its title that without much ado, one could easily tell it relates to a male figure.
The artwork was painted by a woman (Frank) yet, she was able to exhibit a man’s nude torso to
the point where one can actually see the male figure’s muscle and sinew underneath.

In her artwork, Frank tried to create a simple yet detailed image that expose a male figure.
Interestingly, she was able to use her hands to measure the muscles of the figure and used the
paintbrush for the skin and the clear outline of the body shape. To express the structure of the
image, Frank used angles thoroughly and this made it possible for her to bring out the muscles,
from the neck, the package underneath and the shadow. The representation of the image shows
the rate at which Frank can paint a subject without seeing the subject or touching it.

To create the torso, Frank focused on the simple shape of the human body. As a result, she
was able to truncate the head, knees, arms, some other parts and design the main part of the male
body. However, the use of this shape shows that without the artwork having the details that could portray the face, head and legs, the image is easy to see and understand as representation
of man or male anatomy. In this artwork, Frank used brown, blue, yellow, black and red (a
mixture) to depict the flesh and highlight vividly the skin tone in order to bring out the male
muscle and sinew. Also, this male figure as depicted in the piece of artwork is made up of solid
black lines. This helps you to recognize the body because you can see the outline of the body
parts through the black lines. Thus, the use of these color, and lines, made it possible for her to
add finishing touch to the creation. Although, the surface is simple, the textured paint helps the
eyes to focus on the image and gives a less confusing experience. The textured color of the
clothing is clear, showing that the image is close to reality. The fact that the piece of artwork is a
reproduction of the male physique shows that it’s the perfect fit for the object of the artwork.
In terms of the background, the depiction is unique with the orange background that gives
off a warm and lively shade. It’s a remarkable piece of art and as mentioned above, it’s the
masculine body of a man that was transformed by the artist into a figure that depicts his muscled
body. The use of light is also clear in the background. Without the light, the shadow of the
beneath shape and the image itself would not be so clear. However, the light gives to the painting
a model of reality in the senses that shadow or a reflection of the body is expected to see in such
a scenario. In order words, the creation of the shadow, the package underneath, the nave, the
muscles, and the shoulder with colors, and angles transformed the image and made the image
looks like it is authentic. These parts most especially, the underneath package are what Frank
used as the focal part of the artwork. They are part of the image that communicates and signal to
the audience and captures them to stay.
In her artwork, Frank depicted an image of a male figure who is naked. However, the use of
various elements like color, shape, line, form, and the likes made it possible for her to create the
part of a man despite that she is a female. These characteristics helped her bring the image to life
as an authentic male figure’s main part.
Works Cited
Frank, Mary. Male Torso. American Gallery. Zimmerli Art Museum. 1905.