Artwork Page for Three Male Nudes

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Three Male Nudes

c. 1540–47

Domenico Beccafumi

(Italian, 1486–1551)
Culture
Italy, 16th century
Medium
black chalk or charcoal with brush and black chalk or charcoal wash, heightened with white gouache; incised
Support
Light brown laid paper (discolored), laid down on a secondary support (not visible), laid on a tertiary support of laid paper
Measurements
Sheet: 23.2 x 41.7 cm (9 1/8 x 16 7/16 in.); Secondary Support: 23.2 x 41.9 cm (9 1/8 x 16 1/2 in.); Tertiary Support: 24.8 x 42.7 cm (9 3/4 x 16 13/16 in.)
Credit Line
Delia E. Holden Fund 1958.313
Public Domain
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Location
Not on view
Print

Description

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, including the reclining figures he sculpted for the Medici tombs in Florence.
A horizontally oriented tan paper with black chalk and charcoal wash drawing depicts three muscular male figures in dynamic poses. In the center, a figure's legs extend toward our left. On our right, another leans back with massed, curly hair, looking toward the middle. To our left, a third sits with their back turned. White gouache and faint lines highlight the anatomy. Handwritten text and a seal mark the bottom edge.

Three Male Nudes

c. 1540–47

Domenico Beccafumi

(Italian, 1486–1551)
Italy, 16th century

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