This library is built in the open.
If you spot an error, have a suggestion, or just want to say hello — we’d love to hear from you.
Wikimedia Commons · Public domain · Hover to magnify, click for fullscreen
Original fileA muscular male figure is depicted from behind in a slight contrapposto pose, emphasizing the underlying skeletal and muscular structure. Above the main figure are three distinct sketches of a right arm and hand, exploring the tension of the muscles and the articulation of the fingers. The drawing uses fine cross-hatching and contour lines to define the physical form with precision.
This drawing reflects the Renaissance concept of the human body as a microcosm, a physical reflection of the divine order and harmony of the universe. Raphael's anatomical rigor aligns with the natural philosophy of the era, which sought to decode the hidden laws of nature through the scientific observation of the human form.
BRITISH MUSEUM 1860 6 16 94
Heinrich Cornelius Agrippa
In 'De occulta philosophia', Agrippa details how the human body’s proportions mirror the mathematical and harmonic structure of the cosmos.
Marsilio Ficino
Ficino’s Neoplatonism viewed the human being as the 'bond of the world' (copula mundi), making the perfection of the human form a central theme of Renaissance humanism.
Object
Oil on panel
anatomical
Digital Source
Wikimedia Commons · Public domain
https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/P_1860-0616-94
1712 × 2500 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.