Study of a Nude Man Seen from Behind, Leaning on a Surface, and a Separate Study of his Head

This sheet, probably studied from life after one of Andrea's garzoni, prepares one of almost two dozen figures in his monumental fresco The Tribute to Caesar. Strokes articulating his upper back are considerably more nuanced than the broader hatchings below. That he omits the left forearm and leaves the feet as stumps suggests that the drawing follows a full compositional design, for in the fresco these areas are not visible. The sketch at left explores putting a cap on the head, which the artist ultimately rejected.