Seated Nude Youth 1667 - 1671

Jan de Bisschop’s "Seated Nude Youth," a 1667-1671 etching, depicts a nude male figure reclining on a sphere, while simultaneously resting on a ledge above a box containing several disembodied heads. This print is a recreation of a work by Sebastiano del Piombo, an Italian Renaissance painter. The piece reflects the Baroque period’s interest in both classical and religious subjects, suggesting a theme of mortality and the ephemerality of life, while simultaneously evoking the power and beauty of the human form. The viewer is drawn to the intricate details of the figure’s anatomy, expertly rendered by Bisschop. This etching, now housed in the Rijksmuseum, serves as a testament to both Bisschop’s technical mastery and his fascination with the artistic legacy of the Renaissance.