Who painted Male Nude with a Lion [verso]?

Male Nude with a Lion [verso] was painted by Albrecht Dürer in 1500.

Where can I see Male Nude with a Lion [verso]?

Male Nude with a Lion [verso] is held by National Gallery of Art.

What movement is Male Nude with a Lion [verso]?

Male Nude with a Lion [verso] is associated with Northern Renaissance.

Artwork

Male Nude with a Lion [verso]

Albrecht Dürer , 1500

Male Nude with a Lion [verso] is an ink drawing by the Northern Renaissance artist Albrecht Dürer. It dates from 1500 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.

Inscription: Inscribed:lower left in pen and brown ink: AD

About this work

Overview

Albrecht Dürer’s drawing, titled Male Nude with a Lion (verso), dates to around 1500. Executed in pen and brown ink on laid paper, the work presents a standing, unclothed male figure beside a lion, rendered in a quick, gestural manner.

Subject & Meaning

The composition juxtaposes a muscular, nude male with a lion, a pairing that evokes classical themes of strength and the taming of nature. While no narrative is explicit, the proximity of the figures suggests a study of human-animal interaction and the idealized male form.

Technique & Style

Dürer employed cross‑hatching, layering intersecting lines to model volume and suggest the texture of flesh and fur. The lion’s coat is indicated by short, wavy strokes, while a faint underlying grid on the paper hints at the artist’s use of proportional guides during the sketching process.

History & Provenance

Created at the turn of the 16th century, the drawing belongs to Dürer’s early period of intensive anatomical and animal studies. It survives on its original laid paper, and the verso side bears this nude, indicating it was likely part of a sketchbook or a multi‑use sheet used by the artist.

Context

During the late 1490s and early 1500s, Dürer explored the human body through life drawing and incorporated animal motifs drawn from his observations and travels. This work reflects the Northern Renaissance interest in precise observation combined with classical ideals of the heroic male form.