An extremely early drawing, probably dating from around 1520-1, and definitely from before the artist's journey to Rome in 1524. The penwork may be compared to a drawing in the Louvre (Popham, no. 381, pl.1), while the Michelangelesque inspiration for the figure is paralleled in a study of an ignudo in the Louvre (Popham, no. 410, pl. 64). The fact that Parmigianino was acquainted with the frescoes of the Sistine Chapel, and also the Stanze, before going to Rome is probably to be explained by his having seen copies of these works by Correggio from his sojourn there in 1518-9