Several times a year, Christ Church's superb collection of drawings by Old Masters reinvent themselves, and are exhibited at the college's picture gallery under quite different titles. Over the years, they have been displayed in many guises, most recently as Unseen Treasures, Venetian Drawings and Patronage in the Sixteenth Century.

Until October 23, a selection of these fine works take Heroic Nakedness as their theme, and as the title suggests the males in these studies are both naked and heroic.

Such finely executed works, rippling with testosterone, do indeed capture the many shapes of masculinity. One can't but help but be drawn to this muscular display -- there's certainly no room for wimps here.

Because there's no catalogue to accompany this exhibition, visitors without an intimate knowledge of these works or the artists are left to examine the pictures for what they are and let them speak to them directly -- which they do. It's a very powerful collection, selected from the 2,000 held at the gallery, many of which were bequeathed to Christ Church by John Guise, a collector of art works who took his BA from the college in 1702.

With drawings by Francesco Slaviati, (1510-1560), Ligozzi (1547-1626), Augostino Carracci (1557-1602) and Michaelangelo Buonarroti (1475-1564), and others, they present a fine body of work.

Even the exquisite beauty of the older figure is explored, most particularly in Baccio Bandinelli's black chalk study of Old Man Nude in Contorted Position. (1493-1560). While others in this collection struggle to fight their dragons, he sits confidently looking out on the world while his left arm hangs over his head and his right leg lodges over his left knee. It is a remarkable study, despite the somewhat ridiculous pose. It's the sheer force within Warrier Subduing a Monster, by Agostino Carracci (1557-1602) that calls you back to take a second look at the warrior standing astride the monster which, with hands raised, he prepares to silence with a rock. This particular work makes slaying the monster seem a very masculine task.

My favourite -- and surely everyone is entitled to admitting a favourite -- is Giovanni Baglione's Study of a Youth, (1571-1644), drawn in black chalk on yellowish brown paper, as seen from the back. As the exhibition continues for a good few weeks yet, there is time for others to select their favourite too.