Artwork
Untitled

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
Artist
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.



![Male Nude [recto], by Michelangelo](https://artifactworldgallery.com/img/michelangelo--male-nude-recto--8c3354d89884753a-w320.webp)
![Male Nude [verso], by Michelangelo](https://artifactworldgallery.com/img/michelangelo--male-nude-verso--d48a81b2ad2bdbb8-w320.webp)














