Artwork
Two Nude Figures [verso]
![Two Nude Figures [verso], by Luca Signorelli, chalk, 1500](https://artifactworldgallery.com/img/luca-signorelli--two-nude-figures-verso--5ebb2bdb5ab5c1db-w1024.webp)
Two Nude Figures [verso] is a chalk drawing by the Renaissance artist Luca Signorelli. It dates from 1500 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
About this work
Overview
Two Nude Figures [verso] is a drawing created by Luca Signorelli around 1500. Executed in black chalk on tan laid paper, it exemplifies the artist's skill as a draftsman.
Subject & Meaning
The drawing depicts two nude male figures standing together, one with a hand on the other's shoulder. The blank faces direct attention to the bodies' forms and spatial relationship.
Technique & Style
Signorelli employed chiaroscuro, using black chalk to create a range of light and dark values that give the figures volume. Smudged lines suggest a rapid, expressive working method.
History & Provenance
Signorelli, from Cortona in Tuscany, worked in various Italian cities, including Florence, Siena, and Rome, before returning to Cortona in his early 40s.
Artist & collection
Artist
Luca Signorelli (c. 1441/1445 – 16 October 1523) was an Italian Renaissance painter from Cortona, in Tuscany, who was noted in particular for his ability as a draftsman and his use of foreshortening. His massive frescos…
![Nude Male Figure [recto], by Italian 17th Century](https://artifactworldgallery.com/img/italian-17th-century--nude-male-figure-recto--f1cc965df272e72c-w320.webp)
![Two Nude Youths [recto], by Federico Barocci](https://artifactworldgallery.com/img/federico-barocci--two-nude-youths-recto--a057469b757ac46c-w320.webp)