Basic Information

Historical Context

A study of a nude male figure, possibly representing the classical god Apollo. Such studies were essential to Dürer's investigation of ideal human proportions. [Inferred from Dürer Catalog] Visual Description A nude male figure stands in a contrapposto pose, his body modeled with careful attention to musculature and proportion. The pen work is precise, with hatching used to create tonal gradations. The figure may hold an attribute identifying him as Apollo — a bow or lyre. Artistic Analysis Dürer's nude studies are foundational documents in the history of art. His systematic investigation of the male body, informed by classical sculpture and Italian proportion theory, provided the basis for his theoretical writings. These drawings demonstrate the empirical rigor that Dürer brought to the study of human anatomy.