Portret van Baccio Bandinelli 1884

Nicolaas van der Waay created this sensitive drawing of Baccio Bandinelli sometime between the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Van der Waay, working in a period of intense artistic nationalism in the Netherlands, turned to the Italian Renaissance for inspiration, reflecting a broader European trend of revisiting historical figures. Bandinelli, the subject, was a Florentine sculptor known for his rivalry with Michelangelo and for works commissioned by powerful patrons like the Medici family. This portrait, then, offers a glimpse into the complex dynamics of artistic patronage and the historical construction of artistic genius. The choice to depict Bandinelli, a man who navigated the treacherous waters of power and artistic ego, suggests Van der Waay was interested in the persona of the artist as much as his art. Van der Waay's drawing invites us to consider how artists, both then and now, negotiate their identities within the structures of power and legacy.