1524
From the collection of Victoria and Albert Museum
Untitled is a 1524 by Agostino dei Musi, a Renaissance work, held at Victoria and Albert Museum.
This print shows a wild scene of naked men fighting and wrestling in a forest. Some are standing, some are on the ground, and one man holds a book with text on it. In the background, a small village and a castle sit on a hill, with trees and people walking around. The artist used deep shadows and strong lines to make the figures look dramatic and three-dimensional. The mix of action and calm in the background suggests this isn’t just a battle—it might mean something bigger. Look up chiaroscuro to see how this technique works.
Six men are depicted in a state of alarm as they bathe in the Arno River, a scene derived from Michelangelo’s cartoon for the Pisa project. The image exists as a print on paper, identified as the second state and dated 1524.
Read the full account in the museum source.
Agostino Veneziano ("Venetian Agostino"), whose real name was Agostino de' Musi (c. 1490 – c. 1540), was an important and prolific Italian engraver of the Renaissance.
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