Two Studies of a Seated Male Nude

Jacopo da Pontormo (Jacopo Carucci)

mid-16th century · Black chalk · Robert Lehman Collection

Softly modeled in black chalk, this monumental and sculpturesque figure of a nude man with a hypnotic gaze bears a musical instrument known as a syrinx, which may suggest his identification as a mythological figure, such as Apollo. Below is a smaller and sketchier study of the same figure, clothed in heavy drapery. The drawing has been associated with the Mannerist masters Pontormo and Bronzino and can be ascribed to an artist in their circle.

Artist: Jacopo da Pontormo (Jacopo Carucci)
Date: mid-16th century
Medium: Black chalk
Department: Robert Lehman Collection
Credit line: Robert Lehman Collection, 1975

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