Male Figure Representing an Earthquake, 1515-1516, 1977.45

A circular composition features a powerful man with a strained expression and bulging muscles emerging from a dark opening. He grips the edges of the earth above him with both hands, conveying a sense of immense physical force and geological upheaval. The drawing uses subtle shading to define the anatomical detail of his torso and the intensity of his gaze.

This figure is a personification of seismic force, reflecting Renaissance natural philosophy that viewed the earth as a living organism subject to internal pressures. Such depictions draw on Aristotelian theories of subterranean winds and the classical tradition of titans or giants inhabiting the underworld.