Nude Male Figure Striding to the Right Seen from Behind

Although it is of a man, this drawing made from life is probably an early study for the back view of the female figure of 'Venus as the personification of Sunset'. This was painted in 1594-95 on one of the spandrels of the Loggia Orsini in the Palazzo del Pio Sodalizio Piceni, via di Parione, Rome. A 'loggia' is a covered exterior gallery or corridor. In the strict moral climate of Rome at the time, it was not considered decent for a male painter to study a naked female model. Instead, it seems that Cesari drew the male model in a specific pose, which he then transferred to the female figure holding a swirling length of drapery.