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by Tom Gurney
Tom Gurney BSc (Hons) is an art history expert with over 20 years experience
Published on June 19, 2020 / Updated on October 14, 2023
Email: tomgurney1@gmail.com / Phone: +44 7429 011000
Raphael produced this study sketch around 1515 and completed it in chalk
This significant artwork is one of the most famous Raphael drawings currently catalogued and is retained at the Albertina in Vienna, Austria. The gallery itself has recently featured a stunning exhibition of Raphael's work, including several other pieces that is also holds in its permanent collection.
The majority of the Albertina's Collection on Raphael are chalk drawings, with loaned items from the UK helping to complete their comprehensive exhibition.
The full title of this particular drawing is Two Studies of Male Nudes, with the gallery confirming its completion in 1515 and also that red chalk and metal pin were used by the artist to put it together.
Raphael would study anatomy in a similar way to Michelangelo and Leonardo da Vinci - the two other key members of the High Renaissance. Despite the god-given natural abilities of these individuals, practice was still necessary in order to hone their skills.
This artist's Two Studies of Male Nudes compares favourably with related drawings such as Da Vinci's Vitruvian Man and Michelangelo's Madonna del Silenzio.