Classically Draped Bust of a Man
16th century
Medium
bronze
Dimensions
overall (diameter): 6.18 cm (2 7/16 in.) gross weight: 75.18 gr (0.166 lb.)
Classification
Sculpture
Department
CSD
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Gift of Lisa and Leonard Baskin
Accession Number
1997.114.16
Art Historical Context
This exquisite *Classically Draped of a Man*, crafted by an Italian artist in the 16 century, captures the Renaissance fascination with antiquity. Fashioned from bronze, it measures just 6.18 cm in diameter and weighs a mere 75.18 grams, making it a delicate, portable treasure likely intended for a scholar's study or collector's cabinet. The classical drapery evokes ancient Roman and Greek sculptures, reflecting Italy's humanist revival of pagan ideals during the High Renaissance. Bronze, a medium prized for its durability and ability to mimic marble's luster through lost-wax casting techniqu...
About the Artist
Italian 16th Century
"Italian 16th Century" refers to a collective attribution for anonymous painters and sculptors active in Italy during the 16th century, a period bridging the High Renaissance and Mannerism. These artists, often working in workshops of masters like Titian, Veronese, and Tintoretto, remain unidentified due to the collaborative nature of Renaissance production. Their early lives and training are not ...