Nude woman viewed from behind holding fabric which blows behind her, looking at male nude standing in contrapposto in front of her.

Art Historical Context

This intimate engraving, created by Marcantonio Raimondi after a design by the High Renaissance master Raphael (Raffaello Sanzio da Urbino), captures a poetic moment between two nude figures around 1500–1534. Viewed from behind, a graceful woman clutches flowing fabric billowing in the wind, her gaze fixed on a male nude striking a classic contrapposto pose—weight shifted to one leg, hip cocked naturally—in the manner of ancient Greek sculptures. The tiny sheet (just 2 13/16 × 1 13/16 inches) exemplifies the Renaissance fascination with idealized human anatomy and harmonious proportions. Raimondi's masterful engraving technique, using fine burin lines to mimic Raphael's fluid drawing style, made complex compositions like this accessible beyond elite workshops. As the only known state of the print, it highlights the era's innovative printmaking, which democratized art and spread Renaissance ideals across Europe. Raphael's influence shines through in the figures' serene elegance, evoking mythological themes of love or contemplation amid the cultural revival of classical antiquity. Housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Drawings and Prints department (Elisha Whittelsey Collection, 1949), this work invites visitors to ponder the sensual interplay of form and movement, a testament to the High Renaissance's pursuit of beauty and balance.

About the Artist

Marcantonio Raimondi|Raphael (Raffaello Sanzio or Santi) · 1475–1534

Marcantonio Raimondi (c. 1480–1534), born near Bologna, Italy, emerged as one of the Renaissance's premier engravers, revolutionizing printmaking through his mastery of reproductive techniques. He trained in the workshop of the goldsmith, painter, and niellist Francesco Francia, whose influence is evident in his early engravings, such as the goldsmith-like shading in *Pyramus and Thisbe* (1505), h...