‍A 500-year-old drawing by a Dutch artist that was sold by Rugby School for 11 million pounds (15 million U.S. dollars) last year has been banned from leaving the country by the British government on Friday.

Measuring just 27.9 centimeters by 13.2 centimeters, the work "A Young Man Standing" is one of only 28 known drawings by the artist and his only drawing not held in a museum collection.

British Arts Minister Michael Ellis has placed an export ban on the "incredibly rare in a bid to keep it in the country."

Lucas van Leyden (about 1494 - 1533) was famed for his skills as a printmaker. He was among the first artists from the Netherlands to gain international fame. The drawing is thought to be a study for a projected engraving. It depicts a young man in contemporary clothing and was probably drawn from life. The subject is most likely a nobleman, or a studio model posing as one, given the sword he is shown wearing.

Ellis said: "This incredibly rare work by Lucas van Leyden is a true treasure. The drawing showcases his skill as an artist and acts as a record of the 16th-century world. I hope that we are able to keep this work in the UK so that the public can enjoy it."

Aidan Weston-Lewis, from the Reviewing Committee on the Export of Works of Art and Objects of Cultural Interest, said: "This exquisitely crafted drawing offers a charming and rare glimpse into the world of this brilliant but elusive artist. One of a small group of the artist's drawings to have come down to us, this sheet is unlike any of the others in this country and every effort should be made to retain it."

(Head Image: Visitors pause in front of "Young Man Standing" by Lucas van Leyden, from the Rugby School collection during a media preview at Christie's on November 30, 2018, in London, England. /VCG Photo)