Bust of a boy looking down 1616 - 1686

Carlo Dolci made this red chalk drawing called "Bust of a boy looking down" in Florence, Italy, during the seventeenth century. Its subject is a young child, probably a boy, with delicate features, downcast eyes and an ethereal, angelic air. Florence at this time was a city in thrall to the Catholic Church. Religious authorities promoted the emotional power of art to inspire faith and devotion in ordinary people. Dolci made his name painting Madonnas and other holy figures, and this drawing may have been made as a preparatory sketch for a painting of the young Christ. The church encouraged artists to idealize their subjects, often drawing on classical traditions of beauty, and the influence of the classical tradition can be seen in the calm, smooth features of the boy. To better understand Dolci's drawings, scholars can analyze the artist's other sketches, period devotional texts, and the history of religious institutions in Florence. This helps us understand the social forces behind the art of the time.