Two heads in view from below c. 1513 - 1515

Correggio, an Italian artist of the High Renaissance, made this red chalk drawing, 'Two Heads in View from Below.' Correggio was renowned for his mastery of perspective and dramatic foreshortening, techniques that allowed him to create illusions of depth and movement. The upward-tilted perspective here evokes the divine, suggesting the figures are ascending into the heavens. This was a period deeply shaped by the power of the Catholic Church, where artists were often commissioned to decorate churches and chapels with awe-inspiring images. Religious institutions used art as a means of conveying spiritual truths. The way Correggio depicts the figures and their emotional states reflect the social and cultural values of the time. It’s worth exploring the religious, political, and artistic history of 16th-century Italy to better understand the artwork. Studying the social context in which this drawing was produced provides a crucial lens through which to understand the cultural and institutional forces that shaped Correggio's artistic vision.