Ignudo from Sistine Chapel ceiling
Medium
figures
Classification
figures
Department
Smithsonian Collection
Museum
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Credit
Gift of Noah Butkin
Accession Number
1977-110-1-30
About this artwork
Research in Progress
Art Historical Context
Behold the *Ignudo from Sistine Chapel Ceiling*, a captivating figure crafted by French artist Jean-Robert Ango during his time in Rome (ca. 1759–70). Active in the Eternal City from 1759 to 1770 and passing in 1773, Ango was part of a vibrant community of European artists drawn to Italy's Renaissance treasures. This work evokes one of Michelangelo's iconic *ignudi*—those powerful, seated male nudes from the Sistine Chapel ceiling (1508–12)—translating the master's vision into a three-dimensional study likely intended for artistic training or admiration. In the 18th century, copying renowned ...