Study of a male nude in profile brandishing a dagger, for The Death of Viriatus
Ca. 1807. Conté crayon on grey paper.Not on display
The artist carefully studied each figure in the composition, undressing them and analysing the shifting position of their muscles in every gesture he devised, in order to find in each case the most persuasive and distinctive formula. The group comprising the two armed figures swearing vengeance for the death of Viriatus is far more meticulously worked than the rest; Madrazo experimented with several alternative positions for the arms and legs, and even with different numbers of men swearing the oath.
