Study of a Flayed Torso (verso)
1554
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art
1554
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art
This drawing shows a flayed human torso in pencil or chalk. The skin is peeled back to reveal muscle and bone underneath. The artist wasn’t just sketching—he dug up bodies at night to study them. Bartolommeo da Arezzo learned this trick from Michelangelo, who did the same years before. Check out Bartolommeo da Arezzo (Italian, active 1550–80) to see more of his strange sketches.
