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Artwork

Male Nude [recto]

Michelangelo , 1560

Male Nude [recto], by Michelangelo, chalk, 1560
Male Nude [recto], by Michelangelo, chalk, 1560

Male Nude [recto] is a chalk drawing by the Renaissance artist Michelangelo. It dates from 1560 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art. Created around 1560, this black‑chalk drawing on laid paper presents a solitary male figure rendered in a loose, gestural style.

About this work

Overview

Created around 1560, this black‑chalk drawing on laid paper presents a solitary male figure rendered in a loose, gestural style.

Created around 1560, this black‑chalk drawing on laid paper presents a solitary male figure rendered in a loose, gestural style. The composition captures the back and side of the body, with one arm bent and the other relaxed, suggesting a brief, exploratory study rather than a finished work. The drawing’s sparse shading and largely empty background emphasize its function as a quick anatomical reference.

Subject & Meaning

The figure serves as a study of human anatomy, focusing on the musculature of the torso and limbs. By isolating the body in a simple pose, the artist investigates the interplay of form and proportion that underlies classical ideals of the human figure, a concern central to Renaissance artistic theory.

Technique & Style

Executed with black chalk, the drawing relies on swift, fluid strokes that outline the contours of the body while lightly modeling muscle planes through subtle shading. The use of laid paper provides a textured surface that interacts with the chalk, allowing for both precise line work and soft tonal variation typical of preparatory studies in the period.

History & Provenance

Attributed to Michelangelo Buonarroti, the work dates from the final decade of his career, a time when he returned repeatedly to the study of the human form. Though the piece remains unfinished, it reflects the master’s lifelong engagement with classical sculpture and his practice of producing quick sketches to inform larger commissions.

Artist & collection

Portrait of Michelangelo

Artist

Michelangelo

Michelangelo di Lodovico Buonarroti Simoni (6 March 1475 – 18 February 1564), known mononymously as Michelangelo, was an Italian sculptor, painter, architect, and poet of the High Renaissance.

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This work is in the public domain (CC0). Image source: National Gallery of Art open access. Spotted an error in this record? Tell us.In the collection of National Gallery of Art. Compiled & edited by , Editor & Founder.