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This amazing engraving was created by Antonia del Pollaiolo in 1465. Pollaiolo (1429-1498) was born in Florence in the Early Renaissance; he was contemporary with Cosimo and Lorenzo de Medici as well as innovative artists such as Ghiberti, Botticelli, Brunelleschi, and Campin/van Eyck in the North. One of the hallmarks of the Renaissance is humanism, a focus or belief in human accomplishment and the ability of the human mind. Pollaiolo and his brother, Piero, were both ardent humanists. Antonio moved to Rome in 1484 and worked for Pope Sixtus IV as an engraver, painter, and sculptor (like Donatello for the Medici). In general, southern early Renaissance artwork featured realistic bodies, an interest in human anatomy and accomplishment, perspective, architecture/ideals from Ancient Greece and Rome, beauty, idealism, and triangular compositions. The growth of a middle class and of important patronage families (i.e. Medici, Gonzaga, Montefeltro’s) also fueled the rebirth of classical ideals. As for the Battle of the Nudes, it is the only surviving engraving of Pollaiolo’s, although sculptures made by him and the tomb of Pope Sixtus still remain.
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| Study for Battle of the Nudes engraving http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:BLW_Studies_of_Male_Nudes_in_Combat.jpg |
This engraving is the archetypal image for the Renaissance in general (which means the “rebirth” of classicism). The image depicts the same figures repeated in a symmetrical composition; this reflects the orderly and mathematical aspect of the Renaissance. Two groups of men on the ground mirror each other, and most prominently, two men in the foreground (the ones raising their swords) are identical. This displays the 15th century interest in the logic and reason of the Greeks (think of the perfect proportions of the Parthenon). The bodies of the warriors are ideal and muscular; they hearken back to classical sculptures and the ideal “man as the measure of all things.” It also shows the skill of the artist in depicting humans (the principle of humanism). The other humanist aspect of this image is that Pollaiolo signed his name on the sign in the middle left; this was unusual for artists at the time to display their names so prominently. This shows the rise of the middle class and the potency of new technology; etchings and engravings could be mass produced and sold commercially. The artist wasn’t just a mere craftsman anymore; he was a working professional who made money. As for the subjects of the engraving, they are not figures from history, mythology, or religion; they are simply naked men. The artist had more freedom in depicting what he wanted, not what the Catholic Church told him to create. The facial expressions of the men (especially those on the lower right) aren’t that concerned although they are engaging in a dangerous battle (idealized). There is also a sense of ground and weight; the image does not depict the floating, unreachable and aloof icons of the Byzantine and Medieval era with gold backgrounds and no depth. By contrast, there is some perspective in the corn stalks behind the men, and there is also a new interest in depicting objects “of this world” with accuracy.