An artwork on Galleree from Cleveland Museum of Art.
About the artwork
Study for the Nude Youth over the Prophet Daniel (recto); Figure Studies for the Sistine Ceiling (verso)1510–11
Michelangelo Buonarroti
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, suggests the heroic athleticism of Michelangelo’s sculpture.
When Michelangelo ran out of room for the figure's left foot, he turned the paper over and drew the foot in detail along with three additional sketches of the big toe.
red chalk over black chalk or charcoal
Sheet: 34.3 x 24.3 cm (13 1/2 x 9 9/16 in.); Secondary Support: 34.4 x 24.4 cm (13 9/16 x 9 5/8 in.)
Gift in memory of Henry G. Dalton by his nephews George S. Kendrick and Harry D. Kendrick
In the heart of the Italian Renaissance, a master artist named Michelangelo embraced an immense challenge that would consume four years of his life. Imagine the Sistine Chapel, its vast ceiling a canvas echoing with the whispers of history, awaiting the touch of genius. With every brushstroke, he would breathe life into biblical tales, crafting a visual narrative that would inspire generations.
But before the paint ever kissed the plaster, there was a conception—a delicate dance of thought and creativity. In a quiet studio, Michelangelo meticulously sketched his ideas, swirling red chalk across blank pages. Among these masterpieces of imagination were the ignudi, the athletic male nudes who would soon become silent guardians of Old Testament scenes, echoing strength and vigor at the corners of the grand narrative.
Picture one ignudo, his form bursting forth beyond the boundaries of the paper, each athletic curve a testament to Michelangelo’s unparalleled skill. This poised figure, full of energy, hints at the heroic sculpture to come. With the mastery of a sculptor, Michelangelo intricately crafted each pose, as if conducting an orchestra of musculature and emotion, laying the groundwork for a monumental tale that would unfold above the congregation’s heads.
In this careful preparation, between each stroke of the chalk and the heft of the paintbrush, there rests the heartbeat of creativity—an ode to the human spirit’s connection to artistry, a reminder that every great work begins with an idea waiting to take flight.
About the artist
Creating transformative experiences through art “for the benefit of all the people forever.”The Cleveland Museum of Art is renowned for the quality and breadth of its collection, which includes more than 66,500 artworks and spans 6,000 years of achievement in the arts. The artworks shared on this platform are sourced from the museum's Open Access data under the CC0 license. No endorsement is implied.Address: 11150 East Boulevard, Cleveland, OH, USA 44106
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