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Wikimedia Commons · Public domain · Hover to magnify, click for fullscreen
Original fileThis red chalk drawing captures a young, muscular boy in mid-motion, seen from the side and back. The artist uses soft hatching and contour lines to define the anatomical structure of the child's torso and limbs as he reaches forward. This sketch allowed the artist to work out the complex physical pose before committing it to the final painted composition.
This work exemplifies the Renaissance practice of disegno, where the pursuit of anatomical accuracy was linked to the Neoplatonic belief that physical beauty and mathematical proportion mirrored divine order. Such studies were central to the Roman High Renaissance style, which sought to harmonize naturalism with idealized form.
PL [monogram]
Marsilio Ficino
Ficino’s Neoplatonic theories on the spiritual significance of physical beauty and proportion deeply influenced the High Renaissance approach to the idealized human figure.
Leon Battista Alberti
Alberti's 'De pictura' established the theoretical framework for studying anatomy and movement to express the 'motions of the soul'.
Object
Oil on panel
anatomical
Digital Source
Wikimedia Commons · Public domain
http://www.smb-digital.de/
2294 × 4000 px
Linked Data
AI AI-cataloged fields generated by gemini-3-flash-preview on April 2, 2026. Getty identifiers are AI-inferred and may require verification.