The artwork, titled “Male nude and arm of bearded man,” was created by Michelangelo in the year 1504 in Florence, Italy. Rendered in ink on paper, it is a representative piece from the High Renaissance period, highlighting Michelangelo’s mastery in sketch and study genres. The dimensions of the artwork are 34 x 16.8 cm, and it is currently housed in the Louvre, Paris, France.
The artwork features two primary elements – a robust, detailed sketch of a male nude in the foreground and an arm, presumably that of a bearded man, depicted in a fragmented yet intricate manner. The male nude is dynamically posed, with pronounced musculature and meticulous attention to the natural contours and lines of the human body, indicative of Michelangelo’s keen anatomical observation. The adjacent arm, shown in a different orientation, further exhibits the artist’s fascination with human form and movement. Interspersed with annotations and additional smaller sketches, the artwork exemplifies a preparatory study, shedding light on Michelangelo’s process and relentless pursuit of anatomical perfection.
