Wrestlers. Antique sculpture group. Upper figure 1628 - 1630

"Wrestlers. Antique sculpture group. Upper figure" is a red chalk drawing by Willem Panneels, created in the 17th century. Panneels, who apprenticed with Rubens, here presents the male form as one of strength, control, and idealized beauty, referencing the classical sculpture that was so highly prized at the time. But what does this image tell us about the era that it came from? Consider the male body, caught in a moment of intense physical exertion, as a signifier of power. In the 17th century, artistic representations of the body were also tied to political power. This was an era of emerging empires, and of the subjugation of colonized peoples. How does the idea of dominance play out here? Panneels' drawing encourages us to think about the complicated ways that our ideas of the body are shaped by culture, by politics, and by history.