Study Models of Parts of the Body before 1570

These are the 'Study Models of Parts of the Body', made by Johan Gregor van der Schardt around the late 16th century. The medium and modeling technique are of primary interest in these models. Notice how the artist emphasizes the tactile qualities of the form, with the soft modeling and the curves contrasting with the rougher texture of the base, creating a striking tension between precision and raw form. The choice of isolating body parts challenges the classical ideal of wholeness and beauty. These truncated studies invite us to contemplate the fragmented nature of knowledge and representation. The hand and the other disembodied parts can be seen as emblematic of a world in transition, where old certainties were being questioned and new modes of inquiry were emerging. Consider the use of such forms—detached, yet meticulously rendered—as a reflection of the period's shifting perspectives on the body and its place in the cosmos.