Nudo maschile 

Giulia Lama painted this oil on canvas study of a male nude in Venice, sometime in the first half of the 18th century. Lama was unusual amongst Italian painters of her time, in being a woman producing ambitious large-scale works. In the absence of formal art academies, young artists in Venice would have learned their craft through private tuition in the studios of established painters. There was an increasing demand for figure studies during this time. Venetian artists had an interest in the depiction of the human form, and the institutions and patronage were in place to support its production. The fact that Lama made this accomplished study challenges the idea that women were somehow excluded from the process of making art. The social conditions were not always in her favour, but she overcame these challenges and managed to leave a legacy of paintings and drawings in both public and private collections. Research into the archives of the Venetian academies and private collections helps us to understand the social and institutional context in which Lama was working. It demonstrates how art history is always dependent on the rediscovery of historical evidence.