Study from behind of a naked man playing a cello, from the 'Principios para estudiar el Nobilísimo y Real arte de la Pintura' (Madrid 1693) 1688 - 1698

This drawing by José García Hidalgo, created between 1688 and 1698, is a study of a nude man playing the cello. It was originally part of Hidalgo's book *Principios para estudiar el Nobilísimo y Real arte de la Pintura* (Principles for Studying the Most Noble and Royal Art of Painting), published in Madrid in 1693. The drawing demonstrates Hidalgo’s interest in the human figure and his use of cross-hatching, a technique where lines are drawn in different directions to create shading and volume. The piece is housed at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City.