Carel de Nerée tot Babberich - Standing Nude

Carel de Nerée tot Babberich (1880–1909)

Standing Nude

Pencil and ink on paper

35.7 × 12.3 cm

Literature:

Illustrated in Sander Bink, Verfijnde Lijnen: Carel de Nerée tot Babberich, 1880–1909, Wbooks (2025), cat. no. 297.

Additional information:

Carel de Nerée tot Babberich (1880–1909) ranks among the most intriguing Dutch Symbolists of his time. Well versed in literature, charismatic, and active within The Hague’s society circles, he developed a visual language strongly influenced by Aubrey Beardsley: graphically refined, Gothic in atmosphere, and imbued with a sense of decadence.

Although he never exhibited his drawings during his lifetime, they reveal a distinctly veiled queer sensibility that, as a diplomat, he could not express openly. His work is distinguished by its combination of refinement, mystery, and psychological depth. These qualities remained misunderstood for a long time but are now recognized as the signature of an exceptionally gifted artist whose life was cut tragically short.