Seated nude 1559 - 1638

Domenico Cresti, known as Il Passignano, created this red chalk drawing, Seated Nude, sometime between the late 16th and early 17th centuries. In the Renaissance, the male nude was a study in idealized form, reflecting classical notions of beauty and strength which were, of course, gendered. But what happens when we consider this drawing outside of those conventions? Passignano’s subject turns his gaze away, almost as if in contemplation. The cross-hatching of the red chalk lends a softness to the figure, while simultaneously highlighting the musculature of the body. This may have been a preparatory study for a larger painting. The emotional complexity of the piece invites us to consider the nuanced ways in which identity and representation intersect. It's a moment captured, an invitation to reflect on the human form and the stories it can tell.