Left leg Écorgé, Ludovico Cigoli, late 16th century
Ludovico Cigoli

Left leg Écorgé

late 16th century · Wax model

Can I see it?

Not on view at present

Where is “Left leg Écorgé” now? Collection: Victoria and Albert Museum, London. Not on view at present. Checked September 25, 2026.

Victoria and Albert Museum

London, United Kingdom

It belongs to the collection, but is not on display at present.

Checked
In this state since
Source
The museum

About the sculpture

This wax sketch model of a left leg écorché is an anatomical study and was formerly ascribed to Michelangelo. It appeared to be a study for the leg of the marble statue of David (1501-3) in the Accademia at Florence.

Price Amerson Jr. attributes it to Cigoli or after Cigoli.

This model and the related 4 museum numbers have been extensively discussed in the literature of Michelangelo.

The French word écorché literally means flayed or skinned. It has been adopted almost universally by scholars when speaking of a human figure stripped of its skin and thus displaying the superficial layers of muscles. Sculpted models or statuettes in which the muscles of the body are revealed (or écorchés) first appeared in sixteenth century Europe, and in Italy primarily.

Victoria and Albert Museum

Details

Accession number
4111-1854

In the catalog

Sources

All works

On view at Victoria and Albert Museum

Museum page