Figural Studies 1684 - 1764

Marco Benefial made this red chalk drawing, Figural Studies, in Italy sometime in the 18th century. The sheet presents studies of draped figures in various poses of supplication. Benefial was a critic of the artistic establishment in Rome and his work reflects this. Benefial challenged the artistic conventions of his time. The dominant style was the late Baroque, characterized by its grandiosity. Benefial, on the other hand, favoured a more sober and direct approach, drawing inspiration from earlier Renaissance masters. Benefial opened his own academy in defiance of the Academy of St. Luke, which controlled artistic training and patronage in Rome. Benefial’s defiance of the Roman Academy reflects a broader shift in artistic taste and a growing dissatisfaction with the established artistic institutions. Understanding Benefial's art requires looking into the archives of the art academies and the writings of art critics of the period. Art is always rooted in specific social and institutional contexts.