Naked man viewed from behind climbing a river bank, after Michelangelo (ca. 1500–34)
Original title: Naked man viewed from behind climbing a river bank, after Michelangelo
kurzbeschreibung
Seen from behind, a vigorous naked man pulls himself up a rocky riverbank. The figure derives from a drawing by Michelangelo, which Marcantonio Raimondi translated into an engraving between about 1500 and 1534. The print belongs to the Renaissance tradition of reproductive printmaking and carried Michelangelo's ideas about the human body across Europe.
Description
The figure's back is turned to us: a muscular body, short curly hair, a cloth draped loosely over the shoulders and falling away. One hand reaches for a rock, the other for a branch. Trees and shrubs are lightly sketched in the distance. At the lower right appear the letters 'IV MI AG FE' and 'AF', read as a signature and a possible reference to the artist.
Context
Marcantonio Raimondi, an Italian engraver of the Renaissance, became known for reproductions after Albrecht Dürer and Raphael. This print was made from a model by Michelangelo, probably in connection with his designs for the Sistine Chapel or other projects. Through prints like this one, Raimondi did much to spread Michelangelo's ideas throughout Europe.
Impact
Dynamic movement and physical exertion set the tone; delicate linework and precise modelling of the muscles reinforce it. Even lighting without harsh shadows gives the sheet a calm, academic clarity typical of Raimondi's engraving style.
Technique
For this engraving the motif was cut into a metal plate, inked and printed on paper. Raimondi used fine hatching and parallel lines to build volume and texture. An even distribution of light, with no pronounced areas of shadow, marks his precise, linear working method.
AI-generated description text
Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)