Apollo 1505

Albrecht Durer created this drawing of Apollo in the late 15th or early 16th century. Durer lived during a time of immense social and religious change, and his art often reflects the tensions between the medieval world and the emerging Renaissance. Here we see the nude god Apollo, a figure revered for his beauty, athleticism, and association with the sun. Apollo holds a personified sun in his left hand, a bow and arrows in his right. This drawing reveals much about Renaissance ideals of beauty, which sought to emulate classical Greek and Roman forms. Apollo's masculinity is on full display, yet there's a striking absence of expressiveness in his face. The Reformation was occurring during Durer's lifetime, and there was a growing unease with religious imagery. Perhaps this drawing is Durer's way of exploring secular themes while still engaging with the power and symbolism of religious art. This ambiguous approach invites us to consider how artists navigate shifting cultural landscapes, and how representations of the body reflect broader societal values.