A life-room sketch, rather than intended to illustrate a specific subject, this epitomises the freshness and immediacy of the nude studies Etty painted at the Royal Academy throughout his career, long after he was a student there. Millboard was the artist's favoured support for such life studies, and the way he frequently allows the extremities of his models’ limbs to be cut by the edge of the support, as here, may be regarded as a signature feature. After Etty's death the vast number of life-room studies remaining in his studio were sold at Christie's over seven days, 6-13 May 1850, and the present work appears to have been one of their number.
The 'Mr Drury’ recorded as the original purchaser on Henry Lander's handwritten label and referred to in Douglas England’s letter to Gerald Bowden does not feature in the buyers’ names in the catalogue. However, this could be a confused memory or misinterpretation of ‘Dunpley’, who bought four lots near the beginning — 52 and 69 (female nudes), and 78 and 82 (male nudes), all on millboard. Lot 82, ‘A man with his arms upraised’, which sold for £1 4s, fits better than lot 78, ‘Two slight male studies’, selling for £1 5s.
On the other hand, in a search for the work’s content rather than the buyer’s name, only one description emerges that takes in all three key features (man, back view, and staff or spear). This is lot 448 (albeit under simply ‘oils studies’ rather than among sketches or studies specified as being on millboard): 'A man with his back towards the spectator, holding a spear’, which sold to Wilde for £1 15s. Presumably a dealer, Wilde or Wylde, secured a dozen lots in that part of the sale, on the fourth day. Thus lot 448 might have been bought on behalf of Mr Drury or sold on to him soon after.

We are grateful to Richard Green, curator of York Art Gallery (1977-2003), for his assistance in cataloguing this lot.