Who painted A Standing Male Nude?

A Standing Male Nude was painted by Raphael in 1502.

Where can I see A Standing Male Nude?

A Standing Male Nude is held by National Gallery of Art.

What movement is A Standing Male Nude?

A Standing Male Nude is associated with High Renaissance.

Artwork

A Standing Male Nude

Raphael , 1502

A Standing Male Nude is an ink drawing by the High Renaissance artist Raphael. It dates from 1502 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.

Inscription: Inscribed:by later hand on mount, lower center verso in graphite: 2129G; by later hand on mount, center verso in graphite: [Not deciphered] 1900 / XII; by later hand on mount, lower center verso in graphite: Mc 0206
Markings: Marked:on mount, lower right in stamp and light brown ink: RAFFAELLE SANZIO / 1483-1520

About this work

Overview

Raphael’s drawing, executed in 1502, presents a solitary male figure rendered in pen and brown ink on laid paper. The study captures the nude in a sideways stance, arms hanging loosely, with the artist’s swift, gestural lines conveying the body’s volume and balance. The work exemplifies a preparatory sketch, intended to explore anatomical form rather than serve as a finished composition.

Subject & Meaning

The figure is depicted nude, standing in profile, allowing a clear view of the torso, limbs, and musculature. By isolating the body without narrative context, the drawing emphasizes the study of human anatomy, reflecting the Renaissance interest in idealized proportion and the artist’s commitment to mastering the human form as a foundation for later painted works.

Technique & Style

Raphael employs pen on laid paper, using brown ink with occasional darker shadows to model form. The lines are loose and rapid, with cross‑hatching and subtle shading that suggest the play of light across the muscles. The textured surface of the paper enhances the sketch’s tactile quality, while the economical strokes convey both movement and weight.

History & Provenance

Created during Raphael’s early Florentine period, the drawing likely functioned as a study for a larger composition or as part of his anatomical training. It has remained in the collection of a European museum, where it is catalogued as a preparatory work illustrating the artist’s process in the early 1500s.