Kop en een mannelijke borst 1515 - 1566

Raffaele da Montelupo made this drawing of a head and male torso at an unknown date, using pen and brown ink. Montelupo was working in Italy in the 16th century, a time in which the Church still held enormous power over the cultural sphere. The image suggests the artist's interest in anatomical drawing and the depiction of the human form. This was a prevailing interest at the time due to the humanist revival, which had gradually begun to shift cultural focus away from religious subject matter. Artists began to study classical antiquity and incorporate its aesthetic ideals into their own art. We might understand this drawing as part of the artist's broader project of engaging with that cultural shift and trying to define his role within it. To gain a better understanding, we would need to look at the archival material and institutional records that document the production and reception of his art. This would allow us to explore the relationship between art and social change during the period.