Study for the Nude Youth over the Prophet Daniel (recto); Figure Studies for the Sistine Ceiling (verso)
Universally considered one of the greatest artists of the Italian Renaissance, Michelangelo devoted four years to painting the vast ceiling fresco in the Sistine Chapel. This preparatory study portrays one of the 20 athletic male nudes, known as ignudi, who serve as supporting figures at each corner of the Old Testament scenes painted down the center of the ceiling. Michelangelo worked out the positioning of the ignudi in red chalk drawings before beginning to paint each section of wet plaster. The energy and monumentality of the figure in red chalk, whose body extends beyond the sheet, sug...
Details
- Palette
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Select a color to find related artworks.
- Dimensions
- sheet: height 0.343 m, width 0.243 m; secondary support: height 0.344 m, width 0.244 m
- Origin
- Italy, 16th century
- Department
- Drawings
- Holding institution
- Cleveland Museum of Art
- Image provider
- cleveland-museum-of-art
- License
- CC0-1.0
- Credit
- Gift in memory of Henry G. Dalton by his nephews George S. Kendrick and Harry D. Kendrick
Art Genome Taxonomy
11 tags
Subject Matter
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Human Figure Both · 99%
The sheet visibly contains multiple studies of human bodies, and the museum title and description identify a nude male figure and additional figure studies.
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Figure Studies Both · 99%
The recto presents a carefully developed anatomical figure, while the verso contains abbreviated studies of a head, torso, limbs, and feet; the title explicitly identifies figure studies.
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Nude Both · 99%
The principal figure is visibly unclothed, and the museum describes it as an athletic male nude.
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Anatomy Both · 95%
The drawing closely examines musculature, joints, torso structure, and the articulation of the limbs; the museum identifies it as a preparatory study of an athletic figure.
Styles and Movements
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Renaissance Art Metadata · 99%
The museum describes Michelangelo as an artist of the Italian Renaissance and dates the study to 1510–11.
Visual Qualities
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Angular Visual · 84%
The principal figure is built from sharply bent limbs and pronounced directional changes across the arms, torso, and legs.
Medium and Techniques
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Hatching Visual · 94%
Closely spaced directional strokes model the chest, abdomen, shoulders, thighs, knees, and lower legs, producing visible hatched tonal areas.
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Drawing Both · 99%
The museum classifies the object as a drawing executed in red chalk over black chalk or charcoal, and the image visibly consists of drawn contours and tonal strokes.
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Work on Paper Metadata · 95%
The museum records the object as a sheet measuring approximately 34.3 by 24.3 cm, with drawing on both recto and verso.
Time Periods
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16th Century Art Metadata · 99%
The museum dates the work to 1510–11, placing it in the 16th century.
Geographic Regions
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Italian Art Metadata · 99%
The artist is identified as Michelangelo Buonarroti, Italian, and the place of origin is recorded as Italy.
Source & rights
Michelangelo Buonarroti (Italian, 1475–1564). Study for the Nude Youth over the Prophet Daniel (recto); Figure Studies for the Sistine Ceiling (verso). Cleveland Museum of Art.