A Young Man in Armor, Facing Front 1420 - 1430

Curator: Before us hangs "A Young Man in Armor, Facing Front," a charcoal drawing crafted between 1420 and 1430, currently housed at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Editor: It's ghostly. The lines are so faint, as if the figure is barely there, fading into the paper. And the way the light falls… is that the charcoal smudging giving it that effect? Curator: Yes, look at the weave of that paper too, the visible texture enhances that ephemeral quality. It is believed the drawing is attributed to Arcangelo di Cola da Camerino. I am particularly interested in the evidence of process within this drawing – we can see the artist working out the composition. Editor: This makes me think about the function of armor within Renaissance society. More than simple protection, it represents a status symbol, it suggests access to resources, a political and military influence, what statement do you think this drawing, created using humble charcoal, tried to give ? Curator: Precisely, the artist is playing with expectations here. The materiality itself contrasts with the image it's trying to depict, a nobleman perhaps. The charcoal medium suggests an economy, maybe an apprentice experimenting or working through preliminary sketches, where the artist doesn't want to use too much valuable materials in creating an expensive commissioned piece. Editor: It almost makes you wonder what type of political framework would support that type of commissions, and what artistic background those commissioners might have. Curator: Absolutely, or even consider the accessibility of such materials. Charcoal, unlike costly paints, was readily available, democratizing artistic exploration, and allowing to create preliminary pieces of complex figures. Editor: Looking at this now, knowing about the medium employed and that potential social implication gives me an entirely different perspective. Curator: Exactly! That tension between subject and the means by which it was rendered reveals fascinating insights to this piece, about artistic process and the availability of different materials during Italian-Renaissance. Editor: Indeed, I feel like I am peeling back the layers, beyond just looking at a drawing on paper. Curator: It adds depth and a critical edge to what otherwise might have been a simple sketch, I appreciate this nuance more after our conversation.