Academic Male Nude Representing Hercules with Nessus's Robe (recto and verso) n.d.

This drawing was made by Baccio Bandinelli, a Florentine artist, during the High Renaissance. Bandinelli depicts the mythological hero Hercules, grappling with the poisoned robe of Nessus. During the Renaissance, the male nude was employed to express ideas about heroism, beauty, and virtue. However, Bandinelli infuses his Hercules with an unsettling emotion. His muscular physique, rendered with dramatic hatching, strains under the duress of the poisoned robe. The hero’s face is contorted in agony, his mouth open in a silent scream. Bandinelli was known for his rivalry with Michelangelo, and often critiqued for his artistic choices. In this drawing, Bandinelli subverts the traditional stoicism associated with male nudes, and instead, reveals the vulnerability and torment of Hercules. He delves into the darker aspects of the hero’s identity. Ultimately, this work resonates as an exploration of human suffering. Bandinelli challenges the idealized image of the Renaissance hero, showing us the raw, emotional experience of pain and mortality.