The Risen Christ
18th/19th century
Medium
Graphite (recto and verso) on ivory wove paper
Dimensions
42.1 × 22.5 cm (16 5/8 × 8 7/8 in.)
Classification
chalk
Department
Prints and Drawings
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
95758
Art Historical Context
Behold *The Risen Christ*, a striking drawing attributed to the Renaissance master Michelangelo Buonarroti housed in the Art Institute Chicago's Prints and Drawings. Rendered in graphite on ivory wove papermeasuring 42.1 × 22.5 cm—this intimate work captures the resurrected Christ on both recto verso, showcasing the artist's probing exploration of form and anatomy. Though dated to the 18th or 19th century, its classification as chalk aligns with Michelangelo's preferred techniques, evoking his signature mastery of the male nude, seen in masterpieces like the *Sistine Chapel* ceiling and *David...
About the Artist
Michelangelo Buonarroti · 1475–1564
Michelangelo di Lodovico Buonarroti Simoni (1475–1564) stands as the quintessential figure of the Italian High Renaissance, a sculptor, painter, architect, and poet whose mastery across disciplines embodied the era's humanist ideals. Born on March 6, 1475, in Caprese within the Republic of Florence to a modest family—his father, Lodovico di Buonarroti Simoni, served as a minor magistrate—Michelang...