Standing Male Nude (Saint Jerome?) with Book

Art Historical Context

In the mid-16th century, Luca Cambiaso, a pioneering Genoese artist (1527–1585), created this striking *Standing Male Nude (Saint Jerome?) with Book* around 1550–59. Working in pen and brown ink on buff laid paper (40.7 × 28.5 cm), Cambiaso captures a muscular figure in a dynamic contrapposto pose, clutching a book that hints at the scholarly saint. As a master of Mannerism—a stylish evolution from High Renaissance ideals—Cambiaso drew inspiration from Michelangelo's anatomical precision, elongating forms for dramatic effect and infusing his works with energetic movement. This drawing exemplifies Cambiaso's innovative draftsmanship, where fluid ink lines build volume and shadow through masterful hatching and cross-hatching. Such studies were vital in Renaissance workshops, serving as preparatory sketches for larger paintings or frescoes, showcasing the artist's deep understanding of the male nude as a cornerstone of artistic training. Housed in the Art Institute of Chicago's Prints and Drawings department, it reflects Genoa's vibrant artistic scene, bridging Italian regional styles with broader European influences. Visitors will appreciate how Cambiaso's economical yet expressive technique turns a simple sheet into a testament to humanism's focus on the body and intellect—perfect for pondering the era's blend of piety and physicality.

About the Artist

Luca Cambiaso · 1527–1585

Luca Cambiaso (1527–1585) was an Italian painter and draftsman who dominated artistic life in Genoa during the second half of the sixteenth century and became one of the most innovative draftsmen of the Late Renaissance. Born in Moneglia near Genoa, he trained under his father, the painter Giovanni Cambiaso, and demonstrated precocious talent, reportedly completing his first public fresco commissi...