Drawing the Classical Figure
December 23, 2008–March 8, 2009
The Getty Center
Reclining Male Nude , Francesco Salviati, Italian, Rome, about 1550 Red chalk heightened with white chalk, 10 5/8 x 15 5/8 in.
Reclining Male Nude , Francesco Salviati, Italian, Rome, about 1550
Red chalk heightened with white chalk, 10 5/8 x 15 5/8 in.
Mastering the depiction of the human figure has long been considered the cornerstone of artistic practice. To perfect their representation of human anatomy, musculature, and proportion, artists throughout the ages turned to ancient Greek and Roman sculpture. By imitating ancient precedents, artists developed a classical figural type that remained the predominant mode of representation for centuries.
This exhibition surveys how draftsmen evoked the sculptural grandeur of classical art—from idealized males of Herculean proportions to sensual females that recalled statues of Venus.
Beginning in the late 1400s, European artists drew inspiration from the monumental sculptures of antiquity. Many young artists traveled to Rome to study and sketch the city’s classical ruins.
Filed under: Art | Tagged: art education, Drawing the Classical Figure, The Getty Center
