Skitser til Nessus (Herkules og kentauren Nessus). Skitse til stående, sidevendt mandsfigur, studier af et par mandsben 1531 - 1535

Parmigianino made this drawing in pen and brown ink as a sketch for a painting of Hercules and the centaur Nessus. In 16th-century Italy, artists turned to classical mythology to address contemporary social and political issues. Hercules, a symbol of strength and virtue, was often used to represent ideal rulers. Nessus, on the other hand, was known for his deceitful and violent nature. By depicting Hercules' triumph over Nessus, Parmigianino may have been commenting on the importance of just and moral leadership. The sketch itself offers insight into the artistic process of the time. Artists often made numerous studies of the human body, focusing on anatomy and proportion. The presence of these studies suggests that Parmigianino was deeply engaged in the intellectual and artistic debates of his time. Historians use drawings like this, along with letters, contracts, and other archival documents, to reconstruct the complex social and institutional contexts in which art was made.