Model Study of a Seated Nude Man with a Cloak over his Head c. 1630

Andrea Sacchi created this red chalk drawing, Model Study of a Seated Nude Man, in Rome in the first half of the 17th century. Sacchi was one of the leading proponents of High Baroque Classicism, a style that looked back to the art of classical antiquity for inspiration. In his idealized depiction of the male nude, Sacchi invites us to contemplate the aesthetic and intellectual values of his time, where the human body was seen as a reflection of divine order and beauty. Sacchi was associated with the Roman Academy of Saint Luke, an influential institution that shaped the artistic standards of the period. The drawing exemplifies the Academy's emphasis on rigorous training and the study of anatomy, as well as the importance of drawing as the foundation of all artistic practice. The politics of imagery in the period was closely tied to the patronage system of the Catholic Church, which used art to promote its religious and political agenda. The interpretation of this drawing benefits from understanding the institutional histories of the time, as well as the social and cultural contexts in which it was produced.