Sculptuur van een naakte man met reismantel 1646 - 1670

This is an engraving by Hubert Quellinus, a 17th-century artist from the Southern Netherlands, depicting a nude male figure draped with a traveler's cloak. Consider the era in which Quellinus lived. The Dutch Golden Age was a period marked by both immense prosperity and strict social codes. How might those norms influence the perception of male nudity in art? This depiction, reminiscent of classical antiquity, was not merely aesthetic; it was also a statement of cultural and intellectual identity. The male figure, poised in dynamic contrapposto, embodies strength, freedom, and perhaps, a hint of defiance against the prevailing puritanical norms. The presence of the traveler's cloak adds another layer, suggesting themes of exploration, adventure, and the negotiation of identity in an ever-expanding world. In this context, the nude man becomes a symbol of the self, ready to confront and engage with the world.