17 May 2026

This week, we are pleased to present, as our Private View of the Week, a rare early sixteenth-century drawing from the circle of Andrea Mantegna, Study of a Standing Male Nude for Hercules. Executed in pen and brown ink, with brown wash and white heightening on prepared paper, this powerful sheet captures the heroic, sculptural language that made Mantegna’s art so influential. Seen from behind, the figure’s contrapposto pose and carefully modelled anatomy evoke the antique world, while the warm brown ground gives the body a striking sense of presence. With distinguished provenance, including the collections of Étienne Desperet and Pierre-Olivier Dubaut, this drawing offers a beautiful glimpse into the Renaissance fascination with the heroic nude.