Zittend mannelijk naakt 1772 - 1844

Giuseppe Bernardino Bison made this red chalk drawing of a seated male nude in the late 18th or early 19th century. This image participates in a long European tradition of representing the male nude, often referencing classical ideals of beauty and heroism. In Bison’s time, artists would have studied such figures in the academy, learning to draw the body through careful observation. But this isn't a god or hero, and the sitter's gaze is averted. Bison was working in Venice, a republic in decline, and it’s interesting to think about how this drawing might reflect changing social values. Is this an attempt to reclaim earlier artistic glories, or does it suggest a more inward, psychological focus? To understand the drawing better, we might research the history of art academies and the shifting status of Venice during this period. Art, like history, is always contingent on its context.