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Skeleton

early 1540s

Battista Franco

(Italian, c. 1510–1561)
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Culture
Italy, 16th century
Medium
pen and brown ink; incised
Credit Line
Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Claude Cassirer 1964.380
Public Domain
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Location
Not on view
Print

Description

Michelangelo was among the first artists in Europe to attend a human dissection and to adopt anatomical knowledge as a necessity for depicting the human figure. These drawings of anatomically accurate skeletons by Battista Franco reflect the increased—and slightly macabre—interest in the interior workings of the human body inspired in part by Michelangelo’s example.
A vertically oriented pen and brown ink drawing on four joined pieces of aged, light brown paper features three skeletal studies. At the top left, a partial skeleton faces right in profile. A central, full-length skeleton spans two sheets vertically. To the right, a separate vertical strip displays a third skeleton from the pelvis down. Delicate brown lines and faint incised marks define anatomical details against the stained, weathered surface.

Skeleton

early 1540s

Battista Franco

(Italian, c. 1510–1561)
Italy, 16th century

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