Three Male Nudes
c. 1540–47
Medium
black chalk or charcoal with brush and black chalk or charcoal wash, heightened with white gouache; incised
Dimensions
{"sheet":{"height":0.232,"width":0.417},"secondary support":{"height":0.232,"width":0.419},"tertiary support":{"height":0.248,"width":0.427}}
Classification
Drawing
Department
Drawings
Museum
Cleveland Museum of Art
Credit
Delia E. Holden Fund
Accession Number
1958.313
Tags
About this artwork
Domenico Beccafumi was intensely aware of the work of his contemporary Michelangelo when he developed his own style for projects in Siena, south of Florence. This drawing is a study for a chiaroscuro print, a type of woodblock print using several blocks, some colored, to create light and shadow. The drawing features three male nudes whose roles are unknown. The closest figure, reclining with his back toward the viewer, recalls ancient sculptures of river gods as well as works by Michelangelo, in...