Description
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.
Provenance
Pierre Crozat, Paris (L. 3612), his sale 1741 (1741); Pierre Jean Mariette (L. 1852), Paris, his sale 1775-76, lot 236 (1775-76); Bürckel family, Vienna; Dr. Alexander de Frey, Temesvar, Romania, his sale, 1933, lot 7 (as school of Michelangelo) (1933); with Wildenstein & Co., New York (1934-37); purchased by Henry G. Dalton (1862-1939), Cleveland (1937); by descent to his nephews George S. and Harry D. Kendrick, Cleveland (1939); The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (1940-)
Study for the Nude Youth over the Prophet Daniel (recto); Figure Studies for the Sistine Ceiling (verso)
1510–11
Accession Number
1940.465
Medium
red chalk over black chalk or charcoal
Dimensions
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.)
Classification
Drawing
Credit Line
Gift in memory of Henry G. Dalton by his nephews George S. Kendrick and Harry D. Kendrick
Tags
Color: Orange Color: White
Background & Context
Background Story
Michelangelo Buonarroti's "Study for the Nude Youth over the Prophet Daniel" (1510–11) is a supremely rare and precious red chalk drawing directly related to the Sistine Chapel ceiling—one of the greatest artistic achievements in human history. This double-sided sheet features on the recto a study for one of the ignudi (the nude youths) that frame the narrative scenes on the Sistine Ceiling, specifically the figure positioned above the Prophet Daniel. Michelangelo (1475–1564) made hundreds of preparatory drawings for the Sistine Ceiling, but relatively few survive, making this sheet an exceptionally important document of his creative process. The red chalk medium—sanguine—was Michelangelo's preferred drawing material, allowing him to model the human body with extraordinary subtlety. The drawing shows a male nude in a complex, twisting pose (contrapposto), the body rotating on its axis in the manner that became known as "figura serpentinata." Every muscle is understood and articulated, yet the drawing remains fluid and alive, not mechanical. The verso contains additional figure studies for the Sistine Ceiling, making this sheet a concentrated example of Michelangelo's genius.
Cultural Impact
Michelangelo's Sistine Ceiling drawings are among the most treasured works on paper in existence, providing an unparalleled window into the working methods of one of the greatest artists in Western history.
Why It Matters
This drawing captures Michelangelo at the peak of his powers—the human body rendered with an understanding of anatomy, movement, and expressive potential that has never been surpassed, directly connected to one of the world's greatest masterpieces.
