Battle of the Nudes
Medium
engraving
Dimensions
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Classification
Department
Prints
Museum
Cleveland Museum of Art
Credit
Purchase from the J. H. Wade Fund
Accession Number
1967.127
Tags
About this artwork
This engraving is one of the earliest Renaissance prints to portray the nude male body in action. Antonio del Pollaiuolo’s grimacing warriors appear like clones in different poses. The print may have functioned as a model for workshop apprentices studying human anatomy while learning to draw; however, the artist’s Latin signature suggests it also had an audience educated in literature. Art historians remain uncertain whether Pollaiuolo intended to depict a particular story or historical event. I...