Venus de' Medici; view from the back 1640

This 1640 drawing by Peter van Lint is a study of the famous "Venus de' Medici" sculpture, focusing on its back view. The artist used delicate shading to capture the contours of the female form, emphasizing the curves and subtle muscularity. The presence of a skull at the base alludes to the transience of beauty and the inevitability of mortality. A popular subject in art, the Venus de' Medici, is often used as a model for classical beauty and ideal proportions.