Battle of the Nudes (engraving)

The print of Battle of the Nudes in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art is the only known first-state impression of the piece.
Battle of the Nude Men by Antonio del Pollaiuolo, 1465–1475. Engraving 42.4 × 60.9 cm. Second-state impression
Worn second-state impression from Kansas, but enlarges well in two stages
Worn second-state impression from New York; as with most engravings, reproduction on a small scale does not convey the quality of the image well. The print has been folded in four in the past.

The Battle of the Nudes or Battle of the Naked Men,[1] probably dating from 1465–1475, is an engraving by the Florentine goldsmith and sculptor Antonio del Pollaiuolo which is one of the most significant old master prints of the Italian Renaissance. The engraving is large at 42.4 × 60.9 cm, and depicts five men wearing headbands and five men without, fighting in pairs with weapons in front of a dense background of vegetation.

All the figures are posed in different strained and athletic positions, and the print is advanced for the period in this respect. The style is classicizing, although they grimace fiercely, and their musculature is strongly emphasized. The two figures nearest the front of the picture space are in essentially the same pose, seen from in front and behind, and one purpose of the print may have been to give artists poses to copy. An effective and largely original return-stroke engraving technique was employed to model the bodies, with delicate and subtle effect.

The engraving is signed : OPVS ANTONII POLLAIOLI FLORENTINI ("the work of Antonio Pollaiuolo the Florentine") on a tablet at left.[2] Signing a print so prominently was unusual at this period.

  1. ^ And other variants
  2. ^ British Museum page