Italian Academic Drawing of the 19th Century: Adonis of the Vatican

Italian Academic Drawing of the 19th Century: Adonis of the Vatican
Medium: Ink on paper
Dimensions: Height 62 cm x Width 44 cm

This drawing, originally part of a private collection, comes from a portfolio of academic drawings by art students at the Accademia Albertina in Turin. The portfolio included exercises based on academic plaster casts, a common practice in 19th-century art academies to refine drawing techniques and study classical forms.

The drawing is distinguished by its exclusive use of line, without chiaroscuro, highlighting the silhouette of a young and athletic male figure, identified as the Adonis of the Vatican. The contour line is delicate and precise, tracing the outlines of an ideal body inspired by the Greek myth of Adonis.

Adonis, celebrated in Greek mythology for his extraordinary beauty and loved by the goddess Aphrodite, represents the ideal of young male beauty. The figure symbolizes an eternal and perfect beauty, a recurring theme in classical art. This drawing, with its linear approach and pure representation of forms, captures the essence of this aesthetic ideal.

In good overall condition, the work shows minor alterations in the color of the paper and small defects at the edges, which do not compromise its integrity. This drawing provides a valuable insight into 19th-century Italian academic art and reflects the educational practices of art schools at the time.