Battle of the Naked Men

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FROM THE ART INSTITUTE OF CHICAGO’S CATALOG

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.

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