MICHELANGELO Buonarroti
(b. 1475, Caprese, d. 1564, Roma)

Ignudo

1509
Fresco
Cappella Sistina, Vatican

The picture shows the Ignudo at the lower left corner of the Sacrifice of Noah (above the Erythraean Sibyl).

The ignudi in the third bay are painted with greater fluency and the modeling is more delicate - with greater attention being paid to the reflections and the subtle effects of light and shade - than those of the first bay. Moreover, their poses are no longer wholly symmetrical. In fact, in the two figures on the left, only the lower part of the body is symmetrical, while the twisting of the bust and the head are expressions of contrapposto. The right arms of both are, however, extended toward the centre in order to hold the ribbon supporting the medallion. On the other hand, the ignudi on the right lean out toward the exterior, and the only difference between them appears to be the position of their arms.