Artwork

Untitled

Untitled, by Michelangelo, 1490
Untitled, by Michelangelo, 1490

Untitled is a print by the Renaissance artist Michelangelo. It dates from 1490 and is held in the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum.

About this work

Overview

This untitled print, circa 1490, is attributed to Michelangelo, featuring a scene known as *Les Grimpeurs*. It depicts a muscular, shirtless man seated on a rocky ledge with two calm lions at his feet, set against a landscape with trees and a village on a hillside.

Subject & Meaning

The subject, pointing upward while resting, may symbolize a contemplative or heroic figure. The unusual calmness of the lions alongside him suggests a harmony between humanity and nature, a common Renaissance theme.

Technique & Style

Michelangelo employed sharp lines and nuanced shading to achieve a three-dimensional effect, particularly in the rendering of muscles and rocky textures, showcasing his mastery of anatomical study and spatial depth.

History & Provenance

The print's landscape is adapted from Lucas van Leyden's *Sergius and Mahomet*, with minor alterations, indicating Michelangelo's practice of borrowing and adapting elements from contemporaries.

Context

Created during the early Renaissance, this work reflects the period's emphasis on humanism and the integration of natural and figural elements, characteristic of Michelangelo's broader artistic explorations.

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.