Subdued in palette but gorgeous in subtle detail, this painting of a seated male nude from behind captures the sensuality and beauty of the human figure. The painter, Roberto Lupetti, used fine brushwork for the figure, and an impasto technique for the background. Lupetti was one of a team of painters who restored the Sistine Chapel in Rome before World War II. He immigrated to America after the war, where he taught at the San Francisco Art Institute. He became known for his portraits in the Bay Area and in Los Angeles -- several Hollywood luminaries commissioned portraits by Lupetti -- and murals. Here, the subject's long sideburns and slicked hair hint at the 1950s timeframe.