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Battle of the Naked Men

A work made of engraving in black on ivory laid paper.
CC0 Public Domain Designation

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  • A work made of engraving in black on ivory laid paper.

Date:

1489-95

Artist:

Antonio Pollaiuolo
Italian, 1433-1498

About this artwork

A group of men, arranged more or less symmetrically, engage in violent combat against a background of dense vegetation. While the reason for their fighting is unknown, this unusually large engraving was the most influential Italian print of the 15th century, engendering numerous copies and emulations. Antonio Pollaiuolo, a goldsmith and sculptor, probably executed it to advertise his skills in metalworking as well as his ability to convincingly depict the nude male body in motion, a central concern of Italian Renaissance artists.

Status

Currently Off View

Department

Prints and Drawings

Artist

Antonio Pollaiuolo

Title

Battle of the Naked Men

Place

Italy (Artist's nationality:)

Date  Dates are not always precisely known, but the Art Institute strives to present this information as consistently and legibly as possible. Dates may be represented as a range that spans decades, centuries, dynasties, or periods and may include qualifiers such as c. (circa) or BCE.

1489–1495

Medium

Engraving in black on ivory laid paper

Dimensions

40.4 × 58.9 cm (15 15/16 × 23 1/4 in.)

Credit Line

Gift of Herbert F. Perkins

Reference Number

1938.260

IIIF Manifest  The International Image Interoperability Framework (IIIF) represents a set of open standards that enables rich access to digital media from libraries, archives, museums, and other cultural institutions around the world.

Learn more.

https://api.artic.edu/api/v1/artworks/27435/manifest.json

Extended information about this artwork

Object information is a work in progress and may be updated as new research findings emerge. To help improve this record, please email . Information about image downloads and licensing is available here.

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