Study of Ignudo in Sistine Chapel, Rome (recto); Paraphrase of the Ignudo Seated to Upper Right of Prophet Jeremiah in Chapel, Rome (verso) c. 1800

This is a pen and brown ink drawing on paper by Henry Fuseli, titled "Study of Ignudo in Sistine Chapel, Rome." The monochromatic tonality of the brown ink lends the sketch a classical, almost archaeological feel. Notice how the figures are rendered with powerful, sweeping lines that define their musculature and posture. The lines, rather than precisely delineating form, create a sense of dynamic movement and raw energy. Fuseli destabilizes traditional Renaissance ideals of idealized beauty, infusing the figures with an almost frenzied emotional intensity. The study reflects Fuseli's preoccupation with the sublime, and in his paraphrase of Michelangelo’s Ignudo, he amplifies the original's inherent tension and drama through exaggerated anatomy and forceful mark-making. This drawing isn't merely a copy, but a charged interpretation that reveals Fuseli's unique vision and contributes to a broader discourse on the aesthetic power of the human form.